INTERFACE EDGE CRACK IN A BIMATERIAL ELASTIC HALF-PLANE

The plane strain elastic half-plane problem of an edge crack lying alo ng the interface of two perfectly bonded dissimilar quarter-planes is considered. Moreover, on the boundaries of the two quarter-planes conc entrated forces are acting. For the correct formulation of the crack p roblem at hand, we consider the existence of a small slippage zone nea r the crack tip where closing stresses act. The mixed boundary value p roblem is subsequently reduced to a system of two functional equations of the Wiener-Hopf type which are effectively solved. The exact analy tical solution of the problem is presented in series form. Numerical r esults, as well as asymptotic solutions for the most important physica l quantities, are also presented. It is shown that there exist certain modes of surface loading of the homogeneous half-space, that result t o the formation of two distinct zones at the crack tip region, one whe re the crack opening occurs and another adjacent to it, where friction less contact of crack lips takes place. Also, it is demonstrated that in the case of high contrast of Young's moduli of the two quarter-plan es, two opening-contact intervals appear consecutively along the crack .