Skip to main content
Log in

A fast and accurate analysis of the interacting cracks in linear elastic solids

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Fracture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a fast and accurate solution for crack interaction problems in infinite- and half- plane solids. The new solution is based on the method of complex potentials developed by Muskhelishvili for the analysis of plane linear elasticity, and it is formulated through three steps. First, the problem is decomposed into a set of basic problems, and for each sub-problem, there is only one crack in the solid. Next, after a crack-dependent conformal mapping, the modified complex potentials associated with the sub-problems are expanded into Laurent’s series with unknown coefficients, which in turn provides a mechanism to exactly implement in the form of Fourier series the boundary condition in each sub-problem. Finally, taking into account the crack interaction via a perturbation approach, an iterative algorithm based on fast Fourier transforms (FFT) is developed to solve the unknown Fourier coefficients, and the solution of the whole problem is readily obtained with the superposition of the complex potentials in each sub-problem. The performance of the proposed method is fully investigated by comparing with benchmark results in the literatures, and superb accuracy and efficiency is observed in all situations including patterns where cracks are closely spaced. Also, the new method is able to cope with interactions among a large number of cracks, and this capability is demonstrated by a calculation of effective moduli of an elastic solid with thousands of randomly-spaced cracks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersson H (1969) Stress intensity factors at the tips of a star-shaped contour in an infinite tensile sheet. J Mech Phys Solids 17: 405–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benveniste V, Dvorak GJ, Zarzour J et al (1989) On interacting cracks and complex crack configurations in linear elastic media. Int J Solids Struct 25: 1279–1293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bristow JR (1960) Microcracks and the static and dynamic elastic constants of annealed and heavily cold-worked metals. British J Appl Phys 11: 81–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Budiansky B, O’Connell RJ (1976) Elastic moduli of a cracked solid. Int J Solids Struct 12: 81–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho FCS, Labuz JF (1996) Experiments on effective elastic modulus of two-dimensional solids with cracks and holes. Int J Solids Struct 33(28): 4119–4130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen WH, Chen TC (1995) An efficient dual boundary-element technique for a 2-dimensional fracture problem with multiple cracks. Int J Numer Methods Eng 38(10): 1739–1756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooley JW, Tukey JW (1965) An algorithm for the machine calculation of complex Fourier series. Math Comput 19: 297–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Denda M, Dong YF (1997) Complex variable approach to the BEM for multiple crack problems. Comput Meth Appl Mech Eng 141: 247–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erdogan F (1962) On the stress distribution in plates with collinear cuts under arbitrary loads. In: proceedings of 4th U.S. national congress of applied mechanics, vol 1, ASME, pp 547–553

  • Erdogan F (1969) Approximate solutions of systems of singular integral equations. SIAM J Appl Math 17(6): 1041–1059

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erdogan F, Gupta GD (1972) On the numerical solution of singular integral equations. Q Appl Math 29: 525–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Feng XQ, Li JY, Yu SW (2003) A simple method for calculating interaction of numerous microcracks and applications. Int J Solids Struct 40: 447–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta GD, Erdogan F (1974) The problem of edge cracks in an infinite strip. J Appl Mech Trans ASME 41(4): 1001–1006

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashin Z (1988) The differential scheme and its application to cracked materials. J Mech Phys Solids 36: 719–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isida M (1972) Method of Laurent expansion for internal crack problems. In: Sih GC (eds) Methods of analysis and solutions of crack problems. Martinus-Nijhoff, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  • Kachanov M (1987) Elastic solids with many cracks: a simple method of analysis. Int J Solids Struct 23: 23–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kachanov M (1993) Elastic solids with many cracks and related problems. Adv Appl Mech 30: 259–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kachanov M (2003) On the problems of crack interactions and crack coalescence. Int J Fract 120: 537–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koiter WT (1959) An infinite row of collinear cracks in an infinite elastic sheet. Ingenieur Archiv 28: 168–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kushch VI, Shmegera SV, Buryachenko VA (2005) Interacting elliptic inclusions by the method of complex potentials. Int J Solids Struct 42(20): 5491–5512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li YP, Tham LG, Wang YH et al (2003) A modified Kachanov method for analysis of solids with multiple cracks. Eng Fract Mech 70: 1115–1129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma L, Wang XY, Feng XQ, Yu SW (2004) Numerical analysis of interaction and coalescence of numerous microcracks. Eng Fract Mech 72: 1841–1865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muskhelishvili NI (1953a) Some basic problems of the mathematical theory of elasticity. P. Noordhof, Groningen

    Google Scholar 

  • Muskhelishvili NI (1953b) Singular integral equations. Noordhof, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Pan E (1997) A general boundary element analysis of 2-D linear elastic fracture mechanics. Int J Fract 88: 41–59

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sih GC (1964) Boundary problems for longitudinal shear cracks. In: proceedings of 2nd conference on theoretical and applied mechanics. Pergamon, New York

  • Sneddon IN, Lowengrub M (1969) Crack problems in the classical theory of elasticity. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tada H, Paris PC, Irwin GR (1985) The stress analysis of cracks handbook. Paris Production and Del Reasearch Corporation, St. Louis

  • Westergaard HM (1939) Bearing pressures and cracks. J Appl Mech 6: A49–A53

    Google Scholar 

  • Willmore TJ (1949) The distribution of stress in the neighborhood of a crack. Q J Mech Appl Math 2(1): 53–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue MD, Li DF, Hwang KC (2004) Analytical solution of two intersecting cylindrical shells subjected to transverse moment on nozzle. Int J Solids Struct 41(24–25): 6949–6962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue MD, Li DF, Hwang KC (2005) Theoretical stress analysis of intersecting cylindrical shells subjected to external loads transmitted through branch pipes. Int J Solids Struct 42(11–12): 3299–3319

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Lu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, DF., Li, CF., Shu, SQ. et al. A fast and accurate analysis of the interacting cracks in linear elastic solids. Int J Fract 151, 169–185 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-008-9249-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10704-008-9249-8

Keywords

Navigation