Two coplanar Griffith cracks in an infinite elastic layer under torsion

Summary We consider the problem of determining the stress distribution in an infinitely long isotropic homogeneous elastic layer containing two coplanar Griffith cracks which are opened by internal shear stress acting along the lengths of the cracks. The faces of the layer are assumed to be stress free. The cracks are located in the middle plane of the layer parallel to its faces. By using Fourier transforms, we reduce the problem to the solution of a set of triple integral equations with a cosine kernel and a weight function. These equations are solved exactly by using finite Hilbert transform techniques. Finally we derive the closed form expressions for the stress intensity factors and the crack energy. Solutions to the following problems are derived as particular cases: (i) a single crack in an infinite layer under torsion, (ii) two coplanar cracks in an infinite space under torsion, (iii) a single crack in an infinite space under torsion.