Macrocrack interaction with semi-infinite microcrack array

✍ Scribed by Asher A. Rubinstein

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 383 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-2673
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00040390

✦ Synopsis

The collinear periodical array of microcracks ahead of a semi-infinite crack (macrocrack) is considered. A close form solution in terms of complex stress potentials is given, assuming that a remote, macroscale, stress intensity factor is given. The exact solution of the interaction of a macrocrack with a single microcrack is given.

Results demonstrate that for relatively close location (with respect to crack length) of microcracks to the macrocrack tip, the microcrack spacing becomes important. For microcrack spacing (period) greater than 10 crack lengths the interaction can be taken as for a single microcrack, and, for distance greater than two microcrack lengths, the local stress intensity factor can be taken as equal to that remotely applied (for cases with crack spacing greater than two crack lengths).

In other cases the macro-microcrack interaction is significant.