FE calculation of contour integrals in plane anisotropic elastic media with crack surface tractions

The application of the J(k), M, and L integrals is extended for fracture an alysis with consideration of crack surface tractions. The study is consider ed to be feasible for problems with generally linearly anisotropic elastic materials. With the presence of crack surface tractions in anisotropic fiel ds, the concept of path independence of these contour integrals needs to be modified by additionally including extra domain and line integrals, where the near-tip region is inevitably included in their evaluations. A numerica l procedure, based on the finite element solutions, is therefore presented for calculation of these integrals, with special attention addressed to mod eling of the portion of integration around the near-tip area, where singula r mechanical behavior dominates. No particular singular elements are used i n the study. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.