An application of M-integral to cracks in dissimilar elastic materials

Abstract

Here W is the strain energy density, n. is the unit normal to curve C, and u. is displacement vector. T. ~s the traction acting on C. It was foun~ by Smelser and Gurtin [5] ~hat the M-integral conservation law holds likewise for dissimilar materials whose interfaces lie along radial lines of the coordinate system chosen. By combining these results Nachman et al. [6,7] gave an expression of energy release rate for an edge crack along the interface between two elastic wedges with different elastic properties subjected to point loads at the apex. The author has independently examined the applicability of M-integral to energy release rate calculation in dissimilar materials and obtained some closed form expressions of energy release rates for other types of cracks.