Compressive Brittle Fracture Prediction in Blunt V-Notched PMMA Specimens by Means of the Strain Energy Density Approach

The paper aims to examine the suitability of the strain energy density criterion in predicting the fracture behavior of blunt V-notched specimens under compression load. Recent studies on local stress fields have shown that the strain energy density, averaged over a specific control volume which embraces the notch round border, could be a robust parameter in the brittle fracture assessment of several materials. A set of experimental results recently published in the literature on compressive brittle fracture of V-notched specimens made out of polymethyl methacrylate has here been considered. Finite element analyses have been performed on plane strain condition and experimental data have been summarized by means of the SED criterion. It has been shown that the proposed criterion permits a satisfactory evaluation of the fracture load of polymethyl methacrylate specimens weakened by notches having different opening angles and radii.