A unified brittle fracture criterion for structures with sharp V-notches under mixed mode loading

A unified brittle fracture criterion for cracks and V-notches under mixed mode loading is proposed by extending the maximum circumferential stress criterion and Novozhilov’s criterion. The mixed mode fracture toughness and crack orientation of PMMA plates with a sharp V-notch are predicted by the proposed criterion. Tests were also carried out in order to investigate the mixed mode fracture of the PMMA plates. The fracture criterion is validated by comparison to experimental results.