Mass-spring system (MSS) and finite element method (FEM) are extensively used
methods for simulating deformable objects. Though MSS is approximate, it is
computationally less taxing and hence attractive for performing real-time
simulations. One of the major challenges in using MSS is the determination of system
parameters such as node mass, spring stiffness, spring damping coefficients and mesh
topology. Most of the proposed approaches to determine MSS model parameters are
either application specific or limited to a specific choice of material properties. In this
work, we present a square MSS topology that incorporates additional springs to
ensure physically realistic simulations of orthotropic materials for plane
stress (strain) problems. We provide a method to compute model parameters
analytically using the properties of the material. The spring stiffnesses are
determined by comparing the nodal displacements of a single MSS element with
points of a corresponding continuum element. We have verified our model
using simulations of a beam and a plate under different in–plane loading
conditions. The displacement field obtained through these simulations is used to
obtain the stress fields. To show its utility, the MSS is used to estimate
dimensionless compliance and stress intensity factor for a compact tension specimen.
