Extension of a crack due to plane SH wave in a pre-stressed infinite elastic medium

Abstract

The problem of extension of an infinitesimal flaw into a plane crack due to two linearly varying plane SH-waves with non-parallel wave fronts in an infinite elastic medium which is initially in a state of uniform anti-plane shear, has been considered. Fracture is assumed to initiate at a point a finite time after the waves intersect there. The crack is assumed to extend non-symmetrically along the trace of the wave intersection. The method of analysis is based on the observation that certain field quantities show dynamic similarity. The results include expressions for the stress intensity factors at the crack tips and the rate of energy flux into the crack edges. Numerical calculations are carried out to obtain stress intensity factors and the rate of energy flux into the crack tips for different values of the parameters.