Regularized XFEM for meso-macro scale problems

A meso-macro scale approach based on a REgularized eXtended Finite Element Method (REXFEM) is presented. The macro-scale problem contains an additional length scale, called hereafter meso-scale length, which is smaller than the structural scale. The meso-scale length can represent, for instance, the thickness of the adhesive layer in bonded composites, the width of the fiber-bridging zone in fiberreinforced concrete, or alternatively, the width of the process zone in quasi-brittle elements. This contribution shows that the range of applications of the method is very wide, spanning from simulation of delamination tests to the analysis of strain localization and crack inception/propagation in tensile concrete components [1, 2]. The originality of the approach is that a regularization length is introduced, while keeping the local structure of the fields. Moreover, the regularization length can be both larger and smaller than the representative size of the finite element mesh.