The size of the fully developed softening zone associated with a crack in a strain-softening material—II. A crack in a double-cantilever-beam specimen

Abstract

Earlier theoretical work has shown that the fully developed softening zone size in a strain softening material, for a semi-infinite crack in a remotely loaded infinite solid, is relatively insensitive to the details of the softening law for a wide range of force laws, but depends primarily on the maximum stress and displacement within the softening zone. This work is extended in the present paper to the case of a long initial crack in a double cantilever beam specimen, for which it is also shown that the fully developed softening zone size, though dependent on the beam height, and the maximum stress and displacement within the softening zone, is again essentially insensitive to the details of the softening law.