A statistical model of fracture for a 2D hexagonal mesh: the Cell Network Model of Fracture for the bamboo Guadua angustifolia

TL;DR

This paper introduces a 2D statistical fracture model for bamboo Guadua angustifolia, using a hexagonal cell network with brittle junctures, analyzed via FEM, revealing power-law avalanche distributions similar to the random fuse model.

Contribution

It presents a novel hexagonal network model of bamboo fracture incorporating variable juncture properties and finite element analysis, aligning with known fracture avalanche behaviors.

Findings

Avalanche breakings follow a power law with exponent approximately -2.93.

The model replicates fracture statistics similar to the random fuse model.

Finite element method effectively solves the network's fracture dynamics.

Abstract

A 2D, hexagonal in geometry, statistical model of fracture is proposed. The model is based on the drying fracture process of the bamboo Guadua angustifolia. A network of flexible cells are joined by brittle junctures of different Young moduli that break at a fixed threshold in tensile force. The system is solved by means of the Finite Element Method (FEM). The distribution of avalanche breakings exhibits a power law with exponent -2.93(9), in agreement with the random fuse model.