A unified approach to the evaluation of linear elastic stress fields in the neighborhood of cracks and notches

The problem of evaluating linear elastic stress fields in the neighborhood of cracks and notches is considered. An analytical solution valid for cracked and notched components is given in general terms, according to Muskhelishvili's method based on complex stress functions. The solution is particularly useful for V-shape notches in wide and finite plates under uniform tensile loading. It will be demonstrated that some remarkable solutions of fracture mechanics and notch analysis already reported in the literature can be considered special cases of this general solution, as soon as appropriate values of the free parameters are adopted.