Effect of a flat inclusion on stress intensity factor of a semi-infinite crack

Abstract

The elastic plane interaction between an arbitrarily located and oriented flat inclusion and a semi-infinite crack subjected to a remote Mode I loading is considered. The method uses distributions of edge dislocations to formulate integral expressions of flat inclusion (including crack) tractions and is shown to be very accurate by a test problem. The stress intensity factors of the main crack tip are presented for a variety of crack inclusion geometries. It is seen that the flat inclusion could either yield a stress enhancement or stress shielding effect to the main crack tip depending upon the location, orientation and thickness of the flat inclusion, and depending upon the modulus ratios of the flat inclusion to matrix. © 1993.