Zencrack output

The main Zencrack output file is in an ASCII file with a variety of different tabular reports. All output reports can be turned on or off by the user. Available reports depend upon the analysis type but may include:

• Echo, processing and summary reports of user input
• Spectrum input file details and statistics
• Element distortion (detail or summary, full mesh or crack-blocks only)
• "Raw" displacement results from f.e. analysis
• Local opening displacements and open / closed status at crack front
• Local opening displacements and open / closed status for all crack face nodes
• Stress intensity factors calculated from nodal displacements
• "Raw" j-integral results from f.e. analysis
• Local energy release rates calculated from j-integral results
• Maximum energy release rates - magnitudes and growth directions - calculated from the local values
• Growth prediction (detail or summary)
• Output quantities through the load spectrum integration (summary or detail).

Although these output tables can contain a large amount of data, it is important to note that the tables are present. In other words, manual effort is reduced considerably as a result of the automatic processing of the f.e. results by Zencrack. This is the case for analyses with or without crack growth.

In order to process the output to generate, for example, graphs of a vs N, a post-processing utility program is supplied. This generates data in a form for import to a spreadsheet. A further utiliy program is available to help visualise the growth profiles from a crack growth analysis. These programs are described on the post-processing utility page.

In addition to the above, there will also be a requirement to post-process the finite element output files.