{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T01:32:29Z","timestamp":1760578349415,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,3]],"date-time":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1646265600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This work investigates fracture characteristics of a marble semi-circular bend (SCB) specimen with a pre-defined crack under a compressive loading condition. It aims at evaluating how the fracture toughness can be affected by the crack and span length variation. Numerically, the model is solved using meshless methods, extended to the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), resorting to radial point interpolation method (RPIM) and its natural neighbor versions (NNRPIMv1 and NNRPIMv2). Alternatively, to validate the meshless method results, the problem is resolved following the finite element method (FEM) model based on the standard 2D constant strain triangle elements. As a result, fracture toughness and the critical strain energy release rate are characterized following the testing method on the cracked straight through semi-circular bend specimen (CSTSCB). A comparison is drawn amongst the theoretical, meshless methods and FEM results to evaluate the capability of advanced numerical methods. Encouraging results have been accomplished leading to validate the supporting numerical methodologies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app12052633","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,3]],"date-time":"2022-03-03T09:24:53Z","timestamp":1646299493000},"page":"2633","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Fracture Toughness Determination on an SCB Specimen by Meshless Methods"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4345-7495","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Farid","family":"Mehri Sofiani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"FEUP, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Dr. Roberto Frias Street, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8901-9493","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Behzad V.","family":"Farahani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"INEGI, Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Dr. Roberto Frias Street, 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jorge","family":"Belinha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ISEP, Mechanical Engineering Department, School of Engineering, Polytechnic Porto, Rua Dr. Ant\u00f3nio Bernardino de Almeida, 431, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Broek, D. 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