Analytical stress around mode II crack parallel to principle axis in orthotropic composite plate

Stress analyses for orthotropic composite materials containing a through crack under remote shear loads (Mode II) are conducted. By employing the complex theory, a harmonic differential equation was established for the orthotropic plates with axes normal to the three orthogonal planes of material symmetry. An analytical complex function was introduced by following the Westergaard approach. Stress around a mode II crack in the orthotropic composite plate is deduced to have an analytical form. In addition, the analytical solution for a mode II crack was examined in the case of isotropic materials. It demonstrated that the analytical solution obtained is correct for the mode II cracked orthotropic composite plates.     

Impact response of a finite crack in an orthotropic strip

Summary The elastodynamic response of a finite crack in an infinite orthotropic strip under normal impact is investigated in this study. The crack is situated symmetrically and oriented in a direction normal to the edges of the strip. Laplace and Hankel transforms are used to reduce the transient problem to the solution of a pair of dual integral equations in the Laplace transform plane. The solution to the dual integral equations is then expressed in terms of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Numerical values on the dynamic stress intensity factor for some fiber-reinforced composite materials are obtained and the results are graphed to display the influence of the material orthotropy.     

Stress distribution in orthotropic plates with coupled elastic properties

Summary If the roots of the characteristic equation of the governing differential equation for the stress function of an orthotropic plate under generalized plane stress conditions are equal classical solutions of anisotropic elasticity theory do not hold anymore. The general form of the stress function for such orthotropic materials is discussed and the exact solution is given for the plate with an elliptic opening loaded in tension.Comparison of the stress distribution for the material with distinct characteristic roots indicated that in produces much higher stress concentrations than the model with equal roots. For the latter case solution of any boundary value problem may be obtained very easily through an existing solution for the isotropic material.Given also that there are several problems involving stress concentrations in orthotropic plates as yet unsolved, the analysis presented here might be of considerable help in the, designing of the structure of composite laminates.With 8 Figures     

Rotation at the crack tip and COD of mode I crack in anisotropic plate

Rigid body rotation is obtained at the points near crack tip of mode I crack in infinite anisotropic plate. Using Lekhnitskii's complex analysis procedure the rotation is expressed in terms of complex potentials and complex parameters of the material. A relation of crack tip rotation is obtained by incorporating the stress intensity factor and complex parameters for the known crack configuration. An equation of crack opening displacement is derived. For the case of plates made of composite materials the features of crack tip rotation and crack edge profile due to mode I loading are described.     

Dynamic Stress Intensity Factor of Interfacial Finite Cracks in Orthotropic Materials

The elastodynamic response of an infinite non-homogeneous orthotropic material with an interfacial finite crack under distributed normal and shear impact loads is examined. Solution for the stress intensity factor history around the crack tips is found. Laplace and Fourier transforms are employed to solve the equations of motion leading to a Fredholm integral equation on the Laplace transform domain. The dynamic stress intensity factor history can be computed by numerical Laplace transform inversion of the solution of the Fredholm equation. Numerical values of the dynamic stress intensity factor history for some materials are obtained. Interfacial cracks between two different materials and between two pieces of the same material but different fiber orientation are considered. Bimaterial formulation of a crack problem is shown to converge to the mono-material formulation, derived independently, in the limiting case when both materials are the same.     

Stresses in an orthotropic strip containing A Griffith Crack

The problem of determining the stress and displacement fields in an orthotropic elastic strip containing a Griffith crack situated symmetrically and oriented in a direction normal to the edges of the strip is considered. A general solution in terms of two potential functions is presented. The mixed boundary conditions lead to dual integral equations, which are reduced to Fredholm integral equation of second kind and are solved by the use of Gaussian quadrature formula. Numerical solutions for a fiber-reinforced composite material and some isotropic materials are carried out and the effect of orthotropy on various quantities of physical interest, in fracture mechanics, is discussed.     

Application of an orthotropy rescaling method to edge cracks and kinked cracks in orthotropic two-dimensional solids

Oblique edge cracks and kinked cracks in orthotropic materials with inclined principal material directions under inplane loadings are investigated. The Stroh formalism is modified by introducing new complex functions, which recovers a classical solution for a degenerate orthotropic material with multiple characteristic roots. An orthotropy rescaling technique is presented based on the modified Stroh formalism. Stress intensity factors for edge cracks as well as kinked cracks are obtained in terms of solutions for a material with cubic symmetry by applying the orthotropy rescaling method. Explicit expressions of the stress intensity factors for a degenerate orthotropic material are obtained in terms of solutions for an isotropic material. The effects of orthotropic parameter, material orientation, and crack angle on the stress intensity factors for the degenerate orthotropic material are discussed. The stress intensity factors for cubic symmetry materials are calculated from finite element analyses, which can be used to evaluate the stress intensity factors for orthotropic materials. The energy release rate for the kinked crack in an orthotropic material is also obtained.     

Determination of calibration constants for the hole-drilling residual stress measurement technique applied to orthotropic composites—Part I: Theoretical considerations

The hole-drilling technique for the measurement of residual stresses using electrical resistance strain gages has been widely used for isotropic materials and has been adopted by the ASTM as a standard method. A few attempts have been made to extend the technique to orthotropic composite materials. For thin isotropic plates, with a hole drilled through the thickness, the idealized hole-drilling calibration constants are obtained by making use of the well known Kirsch's solution. In this paper, an analogous attempt is made to theoretically determine the three idealized hole-drilling calibration constants for thin orthotropic materials by employing Savin's complex stress function approach. In Part II (to appear in the next issue), test results for a graphite-polyimide composite, with a very high degree of orthotropy, are given and compared with the theoretical results.     

Cruciform crack in an orthotropic elastic plane

The problems of determining the stress and displacement fields in an infinite orthotropic plane containing a cruciform crack 387-1, y=0 and 387-2, x=0 when (I) the shape of the crack is prescribed and (II) the cracks are opened by given normal pressures, are reduced to mixed boundary value problems for the quarter plane. Using integral transform techniques, a closed form solution is obtained for problem I, whereas the solution of problem II has been reduced to solving a Fredholm integral equation of second kind with non-singular kernel. Numerical calculation of the stress intensity factor and crack energy in the case of a linear loading function for various crack lengths are presented for problem II, using the values of material constants for a Boron-Epoxy composite.     

Stress intensity factors for two parallel interface cracks between a nonhomogeneous bonding layer and two dissimilar orthotropic half-planes under tension

In composite materials, which are constructed of two dissimilar orthotropic half-planes bonded by a nonhomogeneous orthotropic layer, one interface crack is situated at the lower interface between the layer and the lower half-plane, and another crack is located at the interface between the upper half-plane and the bonding layer. The stress intensity factors are solved under uniform tension normal to the cracks. The material properties of the bonding layer vary continuously from the lower half-plane to the upper half-plane. The stress intensity factors are calculated numerically for perpendicularly bonded unidirectional glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminae.     

An engineering formula for the stress concentration factor of orthotropic composite plates

An engineering formula for the theoretical stress concentration factor of orthotropic notched plates under tension is provided, as a function of the material elastic constants and the K_t of the corresponding isotropic case. The accuracy and limits of applicability of the new solution are discussed by comparison to data from the literature and results from FE analyses on notched geometries of practical interests. The proposed solution represents a very useful tool to estimate the stress concentration factor of notched orthotropic plates, composite orthotropic laminae, orthotropic unidirectional laminates and homogenised orthotropic composite laminates.     

On higher order parameters in cracked composite plates under far‐field pure shear

This paper presents the analytical solution of the crack tip fields as well as the crack parameters in an infinitely large composite plate with a central crack subjected to pure shear loading. To this end, the complex variable method is employed to formulate an asymptotic solution for the crack tip fields in an anisotropic plane. Using a stress‐based definition of the crack tip modes of loading, only the mode II crack parameters are found to be non‐zero under pure shear load. Special focus is given to the determination of the higher order parameters of the crack tip asymptotic field, particularly the first non‐singular term, ie, the T‐stress. Unlike the isotropic materials, in which the T‐stress is zero under pure shear, it is found that the T‐stress is non‐zero for the case of anisotropic materials, being the only material‐dependent crack tip stress parameter. The veracity of our exact crack tip fields is assessed and verified through a comparison made with respect to the finite element (FE) solution. Finally, we demonstrate the significance of the T‐stress on stresses near the crack tip in composite plates under pure shear loads.     

Thermoelastic and infrared-thermography methods for surface strains in cracked orthotropic composite materials

Two quantitative thermoelastic strain analysis (TSA) experimental methods are proposed to determine the surface strain fields in mechanically loaded orthotropic materials using the spatial distribution of temperature gradient measured from the surface. Cyclic loadings are applied to orthotropic composite specimens to achieve adiabatic conditions. The small change in surface temperatures that resulted from the change in the elastic strain energy is measured using a high sensitivity infrared (IR) camera that is synchronized with the applied loading. The first method is applied for layered orthotropic composites with a coat layer made of isotropic or in-plane transversely isotropic material. In this case, one material parameter (pre-calibrated from the surface) is required to map the strain invariant to the temperature gradients. The proposed method can be used together with Lekhnitskii’s elasticity solution to quantify the full strain field and determine mixed-mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) for crack tips in composite plates subjected to off-axis loading. The second method is formulated for orthotropic layers without a coat and it requires thermo-mechanical calibrations for two material parameters aligned with the material axes. The virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), Lekhnitskii’s and Savin’s elasticity solutions, and finite element (FE) analyses are used for demonstrations and validations of the second experimental method. The SIFs from the TSA methods are very sensitive to the uncertainty in the location of the crack tip and the unknown inelastic or damage zone size around the crack tip. The two experimental methods are effective in generating the strain fields around notched and other FRP composites.     

Green's functions for the stress intensity factor evolution in finite cracks in orthotropic materials

The elastodynamic response of an infinite orthotropic material with finite crack under concentrated loads is examined. Solution for the stress intensity factor history around the crack tips is found. Laplace and Fourier transforms are employed to solve the equations of motion leading to a Fredholm integral equation on the Laplace transform domain. The dynamic stress intensity factor history can be computed by numerical Laplace transform inversion of the solution of the Fredholm equation. Numerical values of the dynamic stress intensity factor history for some example materials are obtained. This solution can be used as a Green's function to solve dynamic problems involving fini te cracks.     

Elastic problem of an adhesion crack in T-junction of two orthotropic thin plates

In this study, the general solution is derived for stresses in a T-junction of two thin plates with an adhesion crack. The plates are orthotropic, and shear force is applied to the crack surface. The analysis is based on the supposition that the stresses in each plate can be approximated by the condition of plane stress. The results obtained are verified through numerical calculation using the finite element method. A singular stress field is obtained from the solution in the vicinity of a crack tip.     

Single edge-cracked orthotropic strip under three-point load

The problem of an orthotropic strip having a crack of unit length normal to one edge and subjected to a bending moment resulting from three-point loading is solved using integral transform method. The mixed boundary conditions lead to dual integral equations which are ultimately reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of second kind. The integral equation thus obtained is solved by the method developed by Fox and Goodwin. Numerical solutions for a fibre-reinforced composite material have been carried out to determine the stress intensity factor of an orthotropic medium. The same has been compared with the isotropic case.     

Stress analysis of perforated composite plates

Thin-walled plates and panels of various constructions find wide use as primary structural elements in simple and complex configuration. In aerospace structures, panels with variously shaped cutout are often used. The understanding of the effects of cutout on the load bearing capacity and stress concentration of such plates is very important in designing of complex structures. An analytical investigation is used to study the stress analysis of plates with different central cutout. Particular emphasis is placed on flat square plates subjected to a uni-axial tension load. The results based on analytical solution are compared with the results obtained using finite element methods. The main objective of this study is to demonstrate the accuracy and simplicity of presented analytical solution for stress analysis of composite plates with central cutout. The effect of cutout geometry (circular, square, or special cutouts), material properties (isotropic and orthotropic), fiber angles, and cutout curvature are considered. The results presented herein, indicated that the presented method can be used to determine accurately the stresses and stress concentration in composite plates with special shape cutouts.     

Thermal singular stresses of glassfiber reinforced plastics with surface cracks at cryogenic temperatures

Thermal singular stress problem for glassfiber reinforced plastics with surface cracks at cryogenic temperatures is considered. For the case of the crack which is normal to and ends at the interface between orthotropic elastic materials, the order of stress singularity around the tip of the crack is obtained. Fourier transforms are used to formulate the problem in terms of a singular integral equation. The singular integral equation is solved by using the Gauss–Jacobi integration formula. Numerical calculations are carried out for the cases of embedded and edge cracks, and the thermal stress intensity factors at different temperatures are shown graphically.     

Mode II Macrocrack Initiation in Orthotropic Composite Viscoelastic Plate

Safe loads and initiation time for a straight macrocrack in viscoelastic orthotropic material that is intended to model a fiber composite plate under shear loads is investigated. The composite material is modeled by viscoelastic orthotropic medium. Determination of expression for crack shear displacement as function of time is based on the corresponding elastic solution and the method of operator continued fractions. Initiation time is obtained as a solution of integral equation for the incubation period. Numerical calculations are given for mode II macrocrack initiation.     

The stress intensity factor for a cracked stiffened sheet repaired with an adhesively bonded composite patch

The problem of a cracked, stiffened metallic sheet adhesively bonded by a composite patch is analyzed. The composite patch is assumed to be either an infinite orthotropic sheet or an infinite orthotropic strip normal to the crack. Due to the high stress concentration around the crack and on the interface, an elliptical disbond is assumed to exist around the crack. The crack is asymmetric with respect to the stiffener's locations as well as to the patch's center. The effect of thermal stresses in curing process is also considered. The fracture problem is solved by the displacement compatibility method, using the complex variable approach and the Fourier integral transform method.The problem is dealt with in two steps. First, starting with an uncracked, patched stiffened sheet, the stress at the prospective location of the crack is determined in a closed-form solution. The second step is to introduce a crack into the stiffened patched sheet. The multivalue of the analytical formulation is treated in detail to ensure proper implement in the computer. The results show that the effect of the stiffeners on the stress intensity factor is not significant for a crack fully covered by a patch.For the repairs by Boron/Epoxy patches, the difference in KI between the infinite sheet patch and the infinite strip model is only minor (less than 5 percent) in the absence of the curing thermal stresses and it becomes more pronounced when these stresses are taken into consideration. The stress intensity factor for a crack repaired by an infinite composite strip also can be estimated with a good or reasonable accuracy via a simplified analysis in which the patch is considered as an infinite strip in the first step and is treated as an infinite sheet in the second step of the solution procedure mentioned above.The latter simplified analysis is based on the approach originally proposed by Rose for a relatively simple repair configuration. For most cases, that approach seems to work well for the repair of a stiffened sheet by an infinite composite strip with the effects of thermal stresses and a disbond included. It should be emphasized that the present methodology can apply to the problem of a crack in a metallic stiffened sheet growing beyond the patch's boundary and also to the repairs by an infinite adhesively bonded composite strip parallel to the crack.