Parallel-CDM

This repository contains a MATLAB-based code and the relevant documentation to solve Computational Damage Mechanics (CDM) problems in parallel. This is a significantly enhanced and updated version of a serial-based CDM code published here. The repo contains the following folders:

a) Paper: contains the article files
b) Code: contains all the code files
c) Documentation: contains a document with a thorough explanation of the code functionalities, limitations, how-to-run instructions, and more.
d) Test Problems: contains the mesh details and hyperparameters for several benchmark problems

Software Features

This code performs parallel‐based simulations of continuum damage mechanics problems. In its current formulation, the following features are available:

• The code models the performance of quasi‐brittle materials, and the user can select between two relevant damage models that capture such behavior: the Mazars [1] and the Geers [2] damage laws.
• The code performs quasi‐static simulations for 2D problems (plane‐strain or plane‐stress).
• The code supports the analysis of both structured and unstructured meshes, with quadrilateral elements that contain 4 Gauss points.
• Two numerical solvers are available, namely the Newton‐Raphson (NR) [3] and the Unified Arc‐Length (UAL) [4] methods.
• The code supports displacement‐driven analysis (Dirichlet BCs are imposed).
• The code can be run either in serial or parallel mode.

Software Prerequisites

This code requires MATLAB and the Parallel Computing Toolbox to be installed. The code is compatible with MATLAB version R2022b and later. While we recommend using GMSH to generate a new mesh, the user can pick any relevant software of their choice. The generated mesh should be stored in a .txt file, modified by the user to match the format that is explained in the Documentation (see the “IV. Model files structure” section).

Code structure

The code is a compilation of several .m files. The main script is FEM_Main_Script_2D.m, which is the only code‐related file the user needs to open and edit. In this file the user specifies the working/saving directories (line 12) and the model name (line 15). This file then calls the solver (Newton‐Raphson or UAL) and the analysis starts.

Each file named func____.m serves a specific purpose, and a brief description of its functionality is provided at the beginning of the file. The overall code follows a typical FEM workflow (element‐level procedures, assembly to global matrices, solution for unknown degrees of freedom).

The analysis generates output data at each load increment, which are stored in the Saved Files folder. It also prints contour plots for damage, local strain, and nonlocal strain at the last load increment, which are stored in the Images folder.

Contributions and support

We invite you to explore our parallel-based code to substantially accelerate computationally intensive CDM simulations. We welcome contributions from the community – a list of potential aspects for improvement are listed in the Contributing.md file or associated Section X in the Documentation. For further instructions or inquiries, please contact:

• Habiba Eldababy (hed279@nyu.edu)
  
• Mostafa Mobasher (mm11504@nyu.edu)