Fracture Collapse Failure Simulation of Single-Layer Reticulated Shells Based on an Adaptively Coupled DEM/FEM Algorithm
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: To simulate the fracture behavior of members during structural collapse, this paper proposes a member fracture simulation algorithm that integrates the plastic hinge model with a ductile fracture damage model within the member discrete element method (MDEM) framework. The coupling is achieved by computing stresses at the four most unfavorable edge points of the contact section and using the minimum fracture strain as the section-level failure criterion. The algorithm is validated against a cantilever beam fracture example, yielding results in good agreement with reference data under two yield stress conditions. The fracture algorithm is then embedded as a self-contained module into an adaptively coupled DEM/FEM algorithm and applied to simulate the shaking table collapse test of a single-layer spherical reticulated shell. The simulation predicts structural collapse at a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 2268 gal—consistent with the experimental value—with 126 members fractured at collapse onset, and reproduces the observed fracture sequence in which first-ring diagonal members near the supports fail progressively from the bottom upward. The proposed framework provides a computationally robust and practically deployable tool for collapse analysis of large-span reticulated structures, with direct implications for progressive-collapse prevention in seismic design and post-event structural forensic investigation of collapse mechanisms.
Source: Buildings
Authors: Qiang Xu, Hanbo Zhu, Chuanzhi Sun, Yupei Yang, Lei Tong
Institutions: Suqian University, China University of Mining and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7203642838