WEIGHT-FUNCTIONS AND STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS FOR CORNER QUARTER-ELLIPTIC CRACK IN FINITE THICKNESS PLATE SUBJECTED TO INPLANE LOADING

Approximate weight functions for the profile and frontal plane crack f ront points of a corner quarter-elliptical crack in finite thickness p late, subjected to mode I, in-plane loading, were derived by using the method of universal weight functions by Shen and Glinka (Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 1991, 40, 1135-1146; Theoretical and Applied Fract ure Mechanics, 1991, 15, 247-255.) Closed form expressions were obtain ed for the coefficients of the weight functions. The coefficients were derived from the reference stress intensity Factor solutions obtained by Shiratori and Miyoshi (Str ess Intensity Factors Handbook, Vol. 3, ed. Murakami ct nl. Pergamon, New York, 1992, pp. 591-597.) using the finite element method. A comparison of the stress intensity factors c alculated using the weight functions with the finite element data for various applied stress distributions shows good accuracy of the presen t results. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.