Configurational mechanics offers a framework for quantifying the tendency of defects to alter the material configuration. When applied to fracture mechanics, configurational forces can be used to quantify the propensity of cracks to propagate. An alternative, well-established approach involves analytical solutions for crack tip displacement fields. However, these solutions typically apply to a limited range of constitutive behaviors and oftentimes to the linear small strain regime. The ease of calculating configurational forces in a numerical Finite Element implementation, along with their applicability to soft fracture at large strains, motivates the study of their performance as a standalone fracture framework. In contrast to the majority of works that remain theoretical and numerical, our study includes a robust experimental approach to configurational forces at finite strains. We report tensile experiments on a soft elastomer with pre-cuts ante fracture initiation. In a first attempt to approach the -integral via configurational forces, we explore the performance of the linear elastic fracture mechanics solutions on Pacman-shaped domains that reproduce the crack tip vicinity. Then, we implement the entire boundary value problem with three-dimensional simulations that replicate the empirical tensile deformation of the soft elastomer samples. Subsequently, the results are benchmarked against estimations of the -integral obtained through a bespoke finite strain analytical crack tip solution. With the successful validation of the configurational force method at finite strains, we aim to establish a pipeline for the calculation of configurational forces in a standalone manner and circumventing the need for close-form analytical solutions.

中文翻译：

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配置力方法可实现软材料的断裂评估

配置力学提供了一个量化缺陷改变材料配置的趋势的框架。当应用于断裂力学时，构形力可用于量化裂纹扩展的倾向。另一种成熟的方法涉及裂纹尖端位移场的解析解。然而，这些解决方案通常适用于有限范围的本构行为，并且通常适用于线性小应变状态。在数值有限元实现中计算构型力的简便性，以及它们对大应变下软断裂的适用性，激发了对其作为独立断裂框架的性能的研究。与大多数仍停留在理论和数值上的工作相比，我们的研究包括一种针对有限应变下构型力的稳健实验方法。我们报告了在断裂引发前对软弹性体进行预切割的拉伸实验。在首次尝试通过构型力接近-积分时，我们探索了线弹性断裂力学解决方案在再现裂纹尖端附近的 Pacman 形域上的性能。然后，我们通过三维模拟来实现整个边值问题，复制软弹性体样品的经验拉伸变形。随后，将结果与通过定制的有限应变分析裂纹尖端解决方案获得的积分估计进行基准比较。随着有限应变下构型力方法的成功验证，我们的目标是建立一个以独立方式计算构型力的管道，并避免对封闭式解析解的需要。