Hello all !

I am doing triplet shear test on brick masonry with simplified continuous micro modeling and I am using XFEM in mortar layer. I am using XFEM couple with VCCT to initiate and propagate crack in mortar layer sandwiched between brick units. I tried Maximum Principal Stress criterion and Quadratic stress criterion both to plot load displacement graphs. I am getting an error stated

"THE SYSTEM ERROR IN STD_FINDCUTSHAPE3D8_XFEM -- NODAL LEVEL SET VALUES MIGHT NOT BE CORRECT FOR ELEMENT 169 INSTANCE New Wallet-1, ITS PHILSM ARE -5.4666, 0.53520, 5.4666, -5.4666, 0.53520, -5.4666, -0.53520, 5.4666." when I use Maxps criterion and mortar gets split from middle when I use Quads stress criterion.

I am attaching screenshots of both the results. I am also attaching CAE file if anyone can please check and find me the solution of the problem. I am stuck with which criterion of damage I should use which will give me better results.

I am stuck at this point and any little help and contribution will be highly appreciable.