Cohesive zone modeling can be used to model adhesive and bonded interfaces and
corresponding crack initiation and propagation.
Cohesive zone modeling predicts the behavior within the cohesive element (or cohesive
contact) and the adhesion between the cohesive element and parent elements is perfect.
Locations where cracks are expected should be identified and explicitly defined as
cohesive zones.
Figure 1.
There are multiple methods/techniques by which interfaces can currently be modeled in
OptiStruct. In the damage-based method that relies on
cohesive elements, thickness of the adhesive/bonded interface can be considered. For
other methods/techniques, thickness effect is excluded. The term technique
is used to distinguish between the element types that are used, which are cohesive
elements and contact elements.
