An Integrated Experimental-Numerical Approach to Predictive Modelling of Fracture in Materials Subjected to Impact Loading

Laboratory experiments of varied complexity and the corresponding numerical simulation procedures have been integrated to enable improved predictive modelling of fracture in materials subjected to impact loading. Application of this methodology which comprised a part of mechanical characterisation of an aluminium alloy has been presented in this paper. The results of uniaxial tensile tests at different rates of strain, fast crack growth and platebending and penetration experiments have been employed to direct the development of predictive modelling algorithms and identification of parameters required by the underlying mathematical equations through inverse modelling.