In an informal netshell, this work was to extend a preliminary proof-of-concept coupling the DBEM with the SBFEM. Unfortunately, much time was lost in the mistake of continuing this work rather than the inevitable start-from-scratch approach that was ultimately adopted. The original code was so buggy that the preliminary results were more by accident than design. It took a complete rewrite and implementation of (some) (more-) modern coding techniques to get any level of confidence. The most important lesson learned in the research was that computational engineering in academia can be so focused on the end-results, sometimes trivial problems that could have been found in a simple unit test are overlooked, leading to results that are just plain wrong, regardless of how convincing (and appealing) a 'convergence graph' might seem.

I learned a lot in this respect.

The work itself was restricted to 2D linear elastic fracture mechanics and required overcoming computational and numerical difficulties in coupling the constituent methods, evaluating and publicising some previously overlooked limitations and in the final chapter, replacing the DBEM entirely with a proof-of-concept of my own. Perhaps this final chapter was the most interesting and novel bit of work in the whole thesis and has nothing to do with the SBFEM at all. It's a shame it was rather glossed over by my peers. Perhaps one day I will revisit it.

"A coupled BEM/Scaled boundary FEM formulation for accurate computations in linear elastic stress analysis."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan and C. E. Augarde (2010)

Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements

Volume 34, Issue 6, June 2010, Pages 599–610

"A semi-discontinuous scaled boundary finite element for the coupled BEM-SBFEM."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan and C. E. Augarde (2009)

Proceedings of the 7th UK conference on Boundary Integral Methods

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

p81-86

"A coupled boundary integral method for accurate computation of stress intensity factors."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan and C. E. Augarde (2009)

Proceedings of the 17th UK national conference on computational mechanics in engineering

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

p205-208

"Efficient calculation of stress intensity factors using a coupled BEM-SBFEM algorithm."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan and C. E. Augarde (2008)

Programme of the joint 8th World Congress on Computational Mechanics & 5th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering

Venice, Italy

p234

"Coupling of the BEM with the SBFEM for fracture mechanics."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan and C. E. Augarde (2008)

Proceedings of the 16th UK national conference on computational mechanics in engineering

Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

p40-43

"Coupling of the BEM with the SBFEM for fracture mechanics problems."

G. E. Bird, J. Trevelyan, C. E. Augarde, S. R. Chidgzey, A. J. Deeks (2007)

Proceedings of the 6th UK conference on Boundary Integral Methods

Durham University, Durham, UK

p233-239

"Coupling of the boundary element method and the scaled boundary finite element method for computations in fracture mechanics."

Chidgzey, S.R., Trevelyan, J. and Deeks, A.J., (2008).

Computers and Structures

Volume 86, Issue 11-12, p1198-1203.

"Acceleration of boundary element computations in reanalysis of problems in elasticity."

J. Trevelyan, D. J. Scales, R. Morris and G. E. Bird (2004)

Programme of the 6th World Congress on Computational Mechanics

Beijing, China