Parallel adaptive simulations of dynamic fracture events

Finite element simulations of dynamic fracture problems usually require very fine discretizations in the vicinity of the propagating stress waves and advancing crack fronts, while coarser meshes can be used in the remainder of the domain. This need for a constantly evolving discretization poses several challenges, especially when the simulation is performed on a parallel computing platform. To address this issue, we present a parallel computational framework developed specifically for unstructured meshes. This framework allows dynamic adaptive refinement and coarsening of finite element meshes and also performs load balancing between processors. We demonstrate the capability of this framework, called ParFUM, using two-dimensional structural dynamic problems involving the propagation of elastodynamic waves and the spontaneous initiation and propagation of cracks through a domain discretized with triangular finite elements.