The formulation for thermal stress and electric displacement in an inf
inite thermopiezoelectric plate with an interface and multiple cracks
is presented. Using Green's function approach and the principle of sup
erposition, a system of singular integral equations for the unknown te
mperature discontinuity defined on each crack face is developed and so
lved numerically. The formulation can then be used to calculate some f
racture parameters such as the stress-electric displacement and strain
energy density factor. The direction of crack growth for many cracks
in thermopiezoelectric bimaterials is predicted by way of the strain e
nergy density theory. Numerical results for stress-electric displaceme
nt factors and crack growth direction at a particular crack tip in two
crack system of bimaterials are presented to illustrate the applicati
on of the proposed formulation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rig
hts reserved.