EDGE FUNCTION-ANALYSIS OF STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS IN CRACKED ANISOTROPIC PLATES

The edge function method, which involves the use of analytic solutions to model field behavior in the various parts of an elastic region, is applied to the analysis of a finite anisotropic plate with a single c rack. Analytical solutions for the stress singularities at each crack tip facilitate the inexpensive calculation of accurate values of the s tress intensity factors. A boundary Galerkin variational principle is used to match the boundary conditions. The method is applicable to iso tropic and anisotropic materials and is demonstrated for a number of f racture problems involving variation of the crack position, crack orie ntation and material orientation. For the range of geometries examined in this paper, the calculated values of the stress intensity factors do not show a major dependence on the material anisotropy. The formula tion of the method makes it easily applicable to the study of the inte raction of several cracks and also to a limited study of crack propaga tion or damage development in a composite laminate.