A meshfree method based on the peridynamic model of solid mechanics

An alternative theory of solid mechanics, known as the peridynamic theory, formulates problems in terms of integral equations rather than partial differential equations. This theory assumes that particles in a continuum interact with each other across a finite distance, as in molecular dynamics. Damage is incorporated in the theory at the level of these two-particle interactions, so localization and fracture occur as a natural outgrowth of the equation of motion and constitutive models. A numerical method for solving dynamic problems within the peridynamic theory is described. Accuracy and numerical stability are discussed. Examples illustrate the properties of the method for modeling brittle dynamic crack growth.