Axisymmetric elastodynamic response of a flat annular crack to normal impact waves

The axisymmetric response of a flat annular crack in an infinite medium subjected to normal impact load is investigated in this study. A step stress is applied to the crack surface. The singular solution is equivalent to solutions of the problem of diffraction of normally incident tension wave by a flat annular crack, and the problem of the sudden appearance of a flat annular crack in a uniform tensile stress field. Laplace and Hankel transforms are used to reduce the problem to the solution of a set of triple integral equations in the Laplace transform domain. These equations are solved by using a integral transform technique and the result is expressed in terms of a singular integral equation of the first kind with the kernel which is improved by means of a contour integration on the Riemann surface. A numerical Laplace inversion routine is used to recover the time dependence of the solution. Numerical results of the dynamic stress intensity factor are obtained to show the influence of inertia, the ratio of the inner radius to the outer one and Poisson's ratio on the load transmission to the crack tip.