On through-thickness distribution of stress intensity factors and energy release rates in the vicinity of crack fronts

Abstract

First, an eigenfunction expansion method is presented to obtain three-dimensional asymptotic stress fields in the vicinity of the front of a semi-infinite crack, subjected to the far-field extension/bending, in-plane shear/twisting and antiplane shear loadings, distributed through the plate thickness. A complex variable approach in conjunction with this eigenfunction expansion technique is employed here to derive the heretofore-unavailable through-thickness distribution of stress intensity factors and energy release rates for a center-crack weakening an infinite plate. Interesting numerical results for three-dimensional stress intensity factors and energy release rates for five different far-field loading scenarios are also presented.