Evaluation of the stress intensity factors for a three-dimensional interfacial crack by the boundary element method

Abstract

In this paper, three-dimensional interface crack problems are analysed by the boundary element method. A special crack tip element is used to improve the accuracy and the complex stress intensity factors are determined by several techniques, namely the one-point stress formula, the one-point discontinuity displacement formula and an energy technique. Stress intensity factors are presented for single-edge, double-edge and centre cracks in bi-materials.