The problem of an external circular crack under asymmetric loadings

Using the boundary integral equation method, the problem of an external cir cular crack in a three-dimensional infinite elastic body under asymmetric l oadings is investigated. The two-dimensional singular boundary integral equ ations of the problem were reduced to a system of Abel integral equations b y means of Fourier series and hypergeometric functions. The exact solutions of stress intensity factors ore obtained for the problem of an external ci rcular crack under asymmetric loadings, which are even more universal than the results obtained by the use of Hankel transform method. The results dem onstrate that the boundary integral equation method has great potential as a new analytic method.