Boundary element method for 3-D cracks in a plate

Abstract

Fundamental solutions which automatically satisfy boundary conditions at the interfaces of an elastic plate perfectly bonded to two elastic halfspaces are implemented in a three-dimensional BEM for crack problems. The BEM features a new integration scheme for highly singular kernels. The capability is achieved through a part analytic and part numerical integration procedure, such that the analytic part of the integration is similar for all slip/opening variations. Part-through elliptic cracks in an elastic plate with traction-free surfaces are analyzed and the SIF values along the crack front are found to compare favorably with the numerical SIF results of Raju and Newman (1979).