Comparison of Stress Fields in a Single-Edge Crack Specimen from Phase-Field Model and Photoelasticity

Phase-field models (PFM) are regularized versions of the variational approach applied to fracture problems. Albeit, different numerical methods are available which can be used to solve fracture problems; the robustness of the PFM for fracture lies in their capability to handle cracks or discontinuity. Many researchers have already explored the ability of the PFMs to capture the crack initiation and propagation. In this study, as part of the validation, the crack propagation in the PFM for brittle fracture is compared with experiments for a single-edge crack specimen made of epoxy material. The isochromatic fringes generated by post-processing stress data from the PFM are compared with the experimental isochromatics to identify modelling parameters. A preliminary study of PFM with the aid of photoelasticity shows that the length scale parameter (lo) has a significant role in modelling.