Study of size effects in the Dugdale model through the case of a crack in a semi-infinite plane under anti-plane shear loading

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to prove that, with the Dugdale model, the small size defects, comparatively to the material characteristic length, are practically without influence on the limit load of structures. For that, we treat the case of a crack in a semi-infinite plane under anti-plane shear loading. Using integral transforms, the elasticity equations are converted analytically into a singular integral equation. The singular integral equation is solved numerically using Chebychev polynomials. Special care is needed to take into account the presence of jump discontinuities in the loading distribution along the crack lips.