The extended finite element method for three-dimensional reinforced composites.

This paper deals with the use of eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) to perform local effects in
three-dimensional reinforced composites. This method was first introduced to model cracks. It is based
on the partition of unity concept and the description of discontinuities like the location of holes and
material interfaces is often realized by the level-set method.
The approach considered allows (i) to easily model the real geometry of reinforcing fibers (not
idealized), (ii) to impose arbitrary Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions on the implicit defined
boundaries and (iii) to introduce models of degradation. Numerical applications are presented on
some academic tests.