BODY FORCE WEIGHT-FUNCTIONS OF CRACKED BODIES

Most of the investigations which calculate the stress intensity factor by using the weight function concept all focus on the problem with tr action boundary conditions. In this study, the expression of body forc e weight functions in a two-dimensional cracked body is formulated. St ress intensity factors can be calculated easily for any arbitrary dist ribution of body force from the predetermined weight functions. Body f orce weight functions for rectangular cracked plates with finite dimen sions are calculated by the numerical boundary element method. Some pr actical examples of various crack configurations and boundary conditio ns are given and a very satisfactory accuracy is obtained. It should b e noted that the ordinary traction type of weight function is a specia l case of the body force weight function discussed in this study.