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.     

Fracture initiation at a crack or notch in a viscoplastic material under high rate loading

The two-dimensional problem of an edge crack in a half space or plate is considered. The body is loaded by a suddenly applied, spatially uniform normal velocity imposed on the plane boundary of the body on one side of the edge crack. Otherwise, the boundary of the body, including the crack faces, is traction free. Both cases of an initially sharp crack tip and a narrow notch with small but nonzero notch root radius are considered. The material is modeled as elastic viscoplastic, including strain hardening, rate sensitivity and thermal softening. The applied loading produces predominantly mode II loading in the crack tip region. Under these conditions it is possible to nucleate an adiabatic shear band at the crack tip as a precursor to a mode II fracture. On the other hand, because of the rate sensitivity of the material and the high rate of loading, it may be possible under certain conditions to generate tensile stresses in the crack tip region sufficiently large to nucleate brittle tensile fracture. The problem is solved numerically by means of the finite element method in order to investigate the competition between these two possible fracture initiation mechanisms. The magnitude of the impact velocity imposed on the edge of the plate and the notch tip acuity have an effect on processes near the crack tip. For given material, the inception of crack growth is determined by the competition between a stress-based brittle fracture condition, associated with rate sensitivity and strain hardening, and a strain based criterion, associated with high strain rate and thermal softening.     

Rotation at the crack tip under uniform heat flow in an infinite medium

A complex analysis of rigid body rotation is presented. The crack-tip rotation for a line crack subjected to steady uniform heat flow is obtained in terms of thermal stress intensity factor in shear mode of the crack, the material and thermal parameters and coordinates of points close to the crack tip. The shear strip configuration is analysed on the basis of rotation and displacement at the end of the shear strip.     

Rigid body rotation surrounding the mode II crack

Using Westergaard function in conventional and also in modified form the rigid body rotation at the crack tip and near the crack edges of mode II cracks are obtained. An attempt is made to explain the deformed configuration of a mode II crack. The rotation at the end of the plastic shear strip ahead of the crack tip is shown to be independent of the stress intensity factor. The rotation field in the vicinity of a crack tip under combined mode I and mode II conditions is obtained.     

The anisotropic R-criterion for crack initiation

The anisotropic nature of mixed modes I-II crack tip plastic core region and crack initiation is investigated in this study using an angled crack plate problem under various loading conditions. Hill’s anisotropic yield criterion along with singular elastic stress field at the crack tip is employed to obtain the non-dimensional variable-radius crack tip plastic core region. In addition, the R-criterion for crack initiation proposed by the authors for isotropic materials is also extended to include anisotropy. The effect of Hill’s anisotropic constants on the shape and size of the crack tip plastic core region and crack initiation angle is presented for both plane stress and plane strain conditions at the crack tip. The study shows a significant effect of anisotropy on the crack tip core region and crack initiation angle and calls for further development of anisotropic crack initiation theory.     

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.     

Rigid body rotation at the tip of a slant crack in an infinite plate

Using Kolosov-Muskhelishvili relations of stresses the rigid body rotation is obtained in the form of complex potentials. The rotation at a point near the tip of a slant crack is expressed in terms of stress intensity factors and the coordinates (r, ) of the point. The relation of rigid body rotation near the crack tip are used to describe some features of mode I and mode II crack tip plastic zone. The rotation field surrounding the tip of a slant crack in infinite plate is obtained and its properties are discussed.

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Résumé En utilisant les relations de Kolosov-Muskhelishvili relatives aux contraintes, on obtient la rotation d'un corps rigide sous forme de potentiels complexes. La rotation en un point près de l'extrémité d'une fissure inclinée est exprimée en fonction du facteur d'intensité d'entaille et des coordonnées (r-) do point. On utilise les relations de rotation d'un corps rigide au voisinage de l'extrémité d'une fissure pour décrire certaines caractéristiques de la zone plastique à l'extrémité d'une fissure de mode I et de mode II. Le champ rotationnel autour de l'extrémité d'une fissure inclinée dans une plaque infinie est obtenue et ses propriétés sont discutées.

     

Process region influence on energy release rate and crack tip velocity during rapid crack propagation

A finite element model of a plate with an edge crack is investigated. A cell model of the material, with the cell size representing some characteristic intrinsic material length, is adopted. The size of the process region depends on the number of cells that have reached a state which is unstable at load control. The results show that the growth of the process region is a main factor responsible for the lack of a unique relation between the small scale yielding energy release rate and the crack tip velocity and also for the observed constant crack velocities that are significantly below the Rayleigh wave velocity. A rapidly propagating crack appears to meet an increase of the energy flow to the crack edge per unit of time by increasing the size of the process region rather than increasing its edge velocity.     

A brief note on elastic T-stress for centred crack in anisotropic plate

The stress intensity factors (SIFs) and the T-stress for a planar crack with anisotropic materials are evaluated by the fractal finite element method (FFEM). The FFEM combines an exterior finite element model and a localized inner model near the crack tip. The mesh geometry of the latter is self-similar in radial layers around the tip. A higher order displacement series derived from Laurent series and Goursat functions is used to condense the large numbers of nodal displacements at the inner model near the crack tip into a small set of unknown coefficients. In this study, the variations of the SIFs and the T-stress with material properties and orientations of a crack are presented. The separation of the analytical displacement series into four fundamental cases has shown to be necessary in order to cover all the material variations and the orientations of a crack in the plate with general rectilinear anisotropic materials.     

Stress singularities for crack normal to and terminating at bimaterial interface on orthotropic half-plates

The problem of a crack normal to and terminating at an interface in two joined orthotropic plates is considered and the eigenequation for the asymptotic behavior of stresses at the crack tip on the interface is given in an explicit form. It is found that the singular stress field around the crack tip can be separated into two independent fields, respectively of the mode I and II. Also it is found that for both the mode I and II deformations the effects of elastic constants on the stress singularity order can be respectively expressed by three material parameters, two of which are the same for both the mode I and mode II deformations.     

Double noding technique for mixed mode crack propagation studies

A simple dynamic finite element algorithm for analysing a propagating mixed mode crack tip is presented. A double noding technique, which can be easily incorporated into existing dynamic finite element codes, is used together with a corrected ? integral to extract modes I and II dynamic stress intensity factors of a propagating crack. The utility of the procedure is demonstrated by analysing test problems involving a mode I central crack propagating in a plate subjected to uniaxial tension, a stationary slanted central crack in a plate subjected to uniaxial inpact loading and an extending slanted-edge crack in plate subjected to uniaxial tension.     

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.     

Comparison of elastic interaction of a dislocation and a crack for four bonding conditions of the crack plane

A comparison of elastic interaction of a dislocation and a crack for four bonding conditions of the crack plane was made. Four cases of single crystalline material, sliding grain boundary, perfectly bonded interface, and sliding interface were considered. The stress intensity factors arising from edge and screw dislocations and their image forces for the above four cases were compared. The stress intensity factor at a crack tip along the perfectly bonded interface arising from screw dislocation can be obtained from that in a single crystalline material if the shear modulus in the single crystalline material is replaced by the harmonic mean of both shear moduli in the bimaterial. The stress intensity factor at a crack tip along the sliding interface arising from edge dislocation in the bimaterial can be obtained from that along the sliding grain boundary in the single material if the μ/(1−ν) in the single material is substituted by the harmonic mean of μ/(1− ν) in the bimaterial where μ and ν are the shear modulus and Poisson's ratio, respectively. The solutions of screw dislocation near a crack along the sliding grain boundary and sliding interface are the same as that of screw dislocation and its mirror image. Generally, the effect of edge dislocation for perfectly bonded interface on the crack propagation is more pronounced than that for the sliding interface. The effect of edge dislocation on the crack propagation is mixed mode for the cases of perfectly bonded interface and single crystalline material, but mode I fracture for the cases of sliding interface and sliding grain boundary. All curves of Fx versus distance r from the dislocation at interface to the right-hand crack tip are similar to one another regardless of dislocation source for both sliding interface and perfectly bonded interface. The level of Fx for m=0 is larger than that for m=−1. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evaluation of crack development in ribbed panels

The problem of elastic equilibrium for a finite anisotropic ribbed panel weakened by a rectilinear crack is considered. Within the framework of a hypothesis of continuous contact of a rib and a plate along a line special presentations are given for obtaining and solving a set of singular integral equations. Absence of an unknown function in the notch contour makes it possible to reduce the order of the set of singular integral equations by one and to propose an effective algorithm for numerical solution of the problem. The effect of material anisotropy, plate edges, and reinforcement stiffness on the stress intensity factor at the crack tip are studied. Calculated results are compared with experimental data for the case of an isotropic plate.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 3, pp. 63–68, March, 1991.     

Modeling dynamic crack propagation in fiber reinforced composites including frictional effects

Dynamic crack propagation in a unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite is studied through finite element analyses of asymmetric impact (shear loading) of a rod against a rectangular plate. A finite deformation anisotropic visco-plastic model is used to describe the constitutive response of the composite. Crack propagation is simulated by embedding zero thickness interface element along the crack path. An irreversible mixed-mode cohesive law is used to describe the evolution of interface tractions as a function of displacement jumps. Contact and friction behind the crack tip are accounted for in the simulations. The failure of the first interface element at the pre-notch tip models onset of crack extension. Crack propagation is modeled through consecutive failure of interface elements. The dynamic crack propagation phenomenon is studied in terms of crack initiation time, crack speed, mode I and mode II displacement jumps and tractions associated with the failure of interface elements, effective plastic strain at the crack tip and path independent integral J^′. Analyses are carried out at impact velocities of 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 m/s, assuming the crack wake is frictionless. Moreover, analyses at impact velocities of 30 and 40 m/s are also carried out with a friction coefficient of 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 along the crack surfaces. The analyses show that steady-state intersonic crack propagation in fiber reinforced composite materials occurs when the impact velocity exceeds a given threshold. A steady-state crack speed of 3.9 times the shear wave speed and 83% of the longitudinal wave speed is predicted in the cases in which the impact velocity is above 10 m/s. Detailed discussion is given on the features of sub-sonic and intersonic crack propagation. It is shown that friction effects, behind the crack tip, do not have a significant effect on maximum crack speed; however, they do on characteristics of the shock wave trailing the crack tip. The analyses also show that the contour integral J^′, computed at contours near the crack tip, is indeed path independent and can serve as a parameter for characterizing intersonic crack propagation.     

Numerical analysis of blunting of a crack tip in a ductile material under small-scale yielding and mixed mode loading

The blunting of the tip of a crack in a ductile material is analysed under the conditions of plane strain, small-scale yielding, and mixed mode loading of Modes I and II. The material is assumed to be an elastic-perfectly plastic solid with Poisson's ratio being 1/2. The stress and strain fields for a sharp crack under mixed mode loading are first determined by means of elastic-plastic finite element analysis. It is shown that only one elastic sector exists around the crack tip, in contrast with the possibility of existence of two elastic sectors as discussed by Gao. The results obtained for a sharp crack are used as the boundary conditions for the subsequent numerical analysis of crack tip blunting under mixed mode loading, based on slip line theory. The characteristic shapes of the blunted crack tip are obtained for a wide range of Mode I and Mode II combinations, and found to resemble the tip of Japanese sword. Also the stress field around the blunted crack tip is determined.     

On crack paths

Crack paths are discussed from several different points of view. The remarkable reproducibility of crack paths, especially the frequent occurrence of straight cracks, is considered. The general dominance of mode I growth at mixed mode loading (via kinking or tilting of the crack edge) is examined, and it is shown that mode I growth can be suppressed by superposition of a high pressure. Mode I growth is scarcely combineable with mode II or III, because of different micromechanisms, whereas a mixture of modes II and III growth appears to be possible. Directional stability of straight crack paths is also analysed with special reference to the importance of a meaningful definition of the concept itself. Finally crack branching is briefly discussed.     

A crack in a linear-elastic material under mode II loading, revisited

A sharp crack in a two-dimensional infinite linear-elastic material, under pure shear (mode II) loading is re-examined. Several criteria have been proposed for the prediction of the onset and direction of crack extension along a path emanating from the tip of the initial crack. These criteria date back some three decades and are well documented in the literature. All the predictions from the different criteria are close and indicate that the crack extension takes a direction at an angle of ≈ −70° measured counterclockwise from the positive x -axis, in the case of a remotely applied positive shear stress. However, the possibility seems to have been overlooked that the crack extension may initiate not from the crack tip itself, but instead may initiate on the free surface at an infinitesimal distance behind the crack tip. The effect of crack tip plasticity on the relevant stresses in the region of the crack tip is investigated by the application of an elastic–plastic finite element program.     

Dominance of asymptotic crack tip fields in elastic functionally graded materials

The stress field surrounding an edge crack in an elastic functionally graded plate is calculated using two dimensional finite element analysis. The property gradient direction is parallel to the crack line and loading is constrained to be symmetric such that a pure mode I situation is achieved. The extent of dominance of asymptotic fields is evaluated by comparing the stress field calculated from the finite element analysis to that calculated by asymptotic equations. Two separate forms of the asymptotic stress fields, one for homogeneous materials and another for continuously nonhomogeneous materials are used. The shape and extent of the dominance regions of each asymptotic field and their dependence on crack length and material nonhomogeneity is also presented. Under the pure mode I conditions considered here, it is seen that both asymptotic fields exist around the crack tip with the one for homogeneous materials in general being embedded in the one for continuously nonhomogeneous materials. The ligament length is seen to primarily control the extent of development of the asymptotic stress field for nonhomogeneous materials. The steepness of the material gradient affects the relationship between the two asymptotic stress fields and therefore the extent of their dominance.