The deformation of the front of a 3D interface crack propagating quasistatically in a medium with random fracture properties

One studies the evolution in time of the deformation of the front of a semi-infinite 3D interface crack propagating quasistatically in an infinite heterogeneous elastic body. The fracture properties are assumed to be lower on the interface than in the materials so that crack propagation is channelled along the interface, and to vary randomly within the crack plane. The work is based on earlier formulae which provide the first-order change of the stress intensity factors along the front of a semi-infinite interface crack arising from some small but otherwise arbitrary in-plane perturbation of this front. The main object of study is the long-time behavior of various statistical measures of the deformation of the crack front. Special attention is paid to the influences of the mismatch of elastic properties, the type of propagation law (fatigue or brittle fracture) and the stable or unstable character of 2D crack propagation (depending on the loading) upon the development of this deformation.     

Geometrical disorder of the fronts of a tunnel-crack propagating in shear in some heterogeneous medium

A statistical analysis of the deformation of the fronts of a tensile tunnel-crack propagating in fatigue in some medium with spatially varying Paris constant was recently performed, with special emphasis on the evolution of the power spectra and correlation functions of the fluctuations of the fronts around reference straight lines. This study is extended here to coplanar propagation (along a weak plane) of a tunnel-crack loaded in mode 2+3. The results are rather similar to those previously obtained for mode 1. In particular, just like for tensile loadings, there is an effect of gradual selection in time of Fourier components of the fluctuations of the fronts of large wavelength. One novelty, however, is that for shear loadings, the fronts no longer tend to become symmetrical in time, so that correlations between crack front fluctuations at two points are higher for points located on the same front than for points located on distinct ones.     

Crack front stability for a tunnel-crack propagating along its plane in mode 2+3Stabilité du front d'une fissure en forme de fente infinie se propageant dans son plan en mode 2+3

The authors recently studied stability of the straight configuration of the front of a tunnel-crack propagating along its plane in mixed mode 2+3 conditions. Coincidence of the extrema of the supposedly sinusoidal crack front perturbation and the energy release rate was assumed, which imposed a certain phase difference between the perturbations of the two parts of the front. The aim of this paper is to relax this constraint. The system is time-dependent so that the stability issue is prone to problems of definition. It is notably shown that for some appropriate definition of stability, certain perturbations develop “unstably” if their wavelength is larger than some critical value depending on mean crack width, Poisson's ratio and mode mixity. To cite this article: V. Lazarus, J.-B. Leblond, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 437–443.     

Theoretical analysis of crack front instability in mode I+III

This paper focusses on the theoretical prediction of the widely observed crack front instability in mode I+III, that causes both the crack surface and crack front to deviate from planar and straight shapes, respectively. This problem is addressed within the classical framework of fracture mechanics, where the crack front evolution is governed by conditions of constant energy-release-rate (Griffith criterion) and vanishing stress intensity factor of mode II (principle of local symmetry) along the front. The formulation of the linear stability problem for the evolution of small perturbations of the crack front exploits previous results of Movchan et al. (1998) (suitably extended) and Gao and Rice (1986), which are used to derive expressions for the variations of the stress intensity factors along the front resulting from both in-plane and out-of-plane perturbations. We find exact eigenmode solutions to this problem, which correspond to perturbations of the crack front that are shaped as elliptic helices with their axis coinciding with the unperturbed straight front and an amplitude exponentially growing or decaying along the propagation direction. Exponential growth corresponding to unstable propagation occurs when the ratio of the unperturbed mode III to mode I stress intensity factors exceeds some “threshold” depending on Poisson's ratio. Moreover, the growth rate of helical perturbations is inversely proportional to their wavelength along the front. This growth rate therefore diverges when this wavelength goes to zero, which emphasizes the need for some “regularization” of crack propagation laws at very short scales. This divergence also reveals an interesting similarity between crack front instability in mode I+III and well-known growth front instabilities of interfaces governed by a Laplacian or diffusion field.     

Evaluation of the Lazarus-Leblond constants in the asymptotic model of the interfacial wavy crack

The paper addresses the problem of a semi-infinite plane crack along the interface between two isotropic half-spaces. Two methods of solution have been considered in the past: Lazarus and Leblond [1998a. Three-dimensional crack-face weight functions for the semi-infinite interface crack-I: variation of the stress intensity factors due to some small perturbation of the crack front. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 46, 489-511, 1998b. Three-dimensional crack-face weight functions for the semi-infinite interface crack-II: integrodifferential equations on the weight functions and resolution J. Mech. Phys. Solids 46, 513-536] applied the “special” method by Bueckner [1987. Weight functions and fundamental fields for the penny-shaped and the half-plane crack in three space. Int. J. Solids Struct. 23, 57-93] and found the expression of the variation of the stress intensity factors for a wavy crack without solving the complete elasticity problem; their solution is expressed in terms of the physical variables, and it involves five constants whose analytical representation was unknown; on the other hand, the “general” solution to the problem has been recently addressed by Bercial-Velez et al. [2005. High-order asymptotics and perturbation problems for 3D interfacial cracks. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 53, 1128-1162], using a Wiener-Hopf analysis and singular asymptotics near the crack front.The main goal of the present paper is to complete the solution to the problem by providing the connection between the two methods. This is done by constructing an integral representation for Lazarus-Leblond's weight functions and by deriving the closed form representations of Lazarus-Leblond's constants.     

Stability of an advancing crack to small perturbation of its path

In this work we investigate the stability of a nominally straight two-dimensional quasistatically growing crack to a small perturbation of its path. Formulae for perturbations of stress intensity factors induced by slight deviation of the crack trajectory were developed by Movchan et al. (Int. J. Solids Struct. 35, 3419) Their solution is exploited to derive an equation for the perturbation of the crack path on the assumption that the crack advances in pure “opening” mode (i.e. local K_II=0). Various types of loading conditions are considered, including a cracked body loaded by a pair of point body forces and a crack whose faces are subjected to given tractions acting in the direction normal to the crack boundary. The body is also subjected to a remotely maintained uniaxial stress, aligned with the direction of the unperturbed crack. The loading is assumed to advance as the crack advances, to maintain the critical value of Mode I stress intensity factor. Numerical computations of possible crack paths have been performed, extending results on crack stability obtained by Cotterell and Rice (Int. J. Fract. 16, 155). The results show that in the case of loading by point body forces the stability of the crack path depends on the positions of the points of application of the applied forces and the magnitude of the applied stress acting parallel to the crack. There exists a critical value of this stress such that the crack path is stable for values less than critical and unstable otherwise. It is shown that the crack is always unstable in the case of point force tractions applied normal to the crack faces.     

Perturbation of a dynamic planar crack moving in a model viscoelastic solid

Weight functions, which give stress intensity factors in terms of applied loading, are constructed, for three-dimensional time-dependent loading of a semi-infinite crack, propagating at uniform speed. Both a model problem, governed by a scalar wave equation, and the full vectorial problem for Mode I loading, are considered. The medium through which the crack propagates is viscoelastic; the approach is general but explicit formulae are given when the medium is a Maxwell fluid. The weight functions are exploited to develop formulae for the first-order perturbations of stress intensity factors when the crack edge is no longer straight but becomes slightly wavy. Implications for stability, and for “crack front waves” in the case of the Mode I problem, are discussed.     

In-plane perturbation of the tunnel-crack under shear loading I: bifurcation and stability of the straight configuration of the front

One considers a planar tunnel-crack embedded in an infinite isotropic brittle solid and loaded in mode 2+3 through some uniform shear remote loading. The crack front is slightly perturbed within the crack plane, from its rectilinear configuration. Part I of this work investigates the two following questions: Is there a wavy “bifurcated” configuration of the front for which the energy release rate is uniform along it? Will any given perturbation decay or grow during propagation? To address these problems, the distribution of the stress intensity factors (SIF) and the energy release rate along the perturbed front is derived using Bueckner–Rice's weight function theory. A “critical” sinusoidal bifurcated configuration of the front is found; both its wavelength and the “phase difference” between the fore and rear parts of the front depend upon the ratio of the initial (prior to perturbation of the front) mode 2 and 3 SIF. Also, it is shown that the straight configuration of the front is stable versus perturbations with wavelength smaller than the critical one but unstable versus perturbations with wavelength larger than it. This conclusion is similar to those derived by Gao and Rice and the authors for analogous problems.     

High-order asymptotics and perturbation problems for 3D interfacial cracks

We present an asymptotic algorithm for analysis of a singularly perturbed problem in a domain containing an interfacial crack. The crack is assumed to be flat and its front, initially straight, is perturbed in the plane containing the crack. The aim of the work is to determine the asymptotic representation of the stress-intensity factors near the edge of the crack. Mathematically, the limit problem is reduced to the analysis of a matrix, 3×3, Wiener-Hopf problem, and its solution generates the “weight matrix-function” characterised by a special singular solution near the crack edge. The two-term asymptotic representation for the weight function components is required by the asymptotic algorithm, together with two-term asymptotics for stress components associated with the physical fields near the edge of the crack. The particular feature of the solution is the coupling between the normal opening mode (Mode-I), and the shear modes (Mode-II and Mode-III), and the oscillatory behaviour of certain stress components near the crack edge. Explicit asymptotic formulae for the stress-intensity factors are obtained at the edge of a “wavy crack” at an interface.     

In-plane perturbation of the tunnel-crack under shear loading II: Determination of the fundamental kernel

For any plane crack in an infinite isotropic elastic body subjected to some constant loading, Bueckner–Rice's weight function theory gives the variation of the stress intensity factors due to a small coplanar perturbation of the crack front. This variation involves the initial SIF, some geometry independent quantities and an integral extended over the front, the “fundamental kernel” of which is linked to the weight functions and thus depends on the geometry considered. The aim of this paper is to determine this fundamental kernel for the tunnel-crack. The component of this kernel linked to purely tensile loadings has been obtained by Leblond et al. [Int. J. Solids Struct. 33 (1996) 1995]; hence only shear loadings are considered here. The method consists in applying Bueckner–Rice's formula to some point-force loadings and special perturbations of the crack front which preserve the crack shape while modifying its size and orientation. This procedure yields integrodifferential equations on the components of the fundamental kernel. A Fourier transform in the direction of the crack front then yields ordinary differential equations, that are solved numerically prior to final Fourier inversion.     

Perturbation approaches of a planar crack in linear elastic fracture mechanics: A review

One current challenge of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is to take into account the non-linearities induced by the crack front deformations. For this, a suitable approach is the crack front perturbation method initiated by Rice (1985). It allows to update the stress intensity factors (SIFs) when the crack front of a planar crack is perturbed in its plane. This approach and its later extensions to more complex cases are recalled in this review. Applications concerning the deformation of the crack front when it propagates quasistatically in a homogeneous or heterogeneous media have been considered in brittle fracture, fatigue or subcritical propagation. The crack shapes corresponding to uniform SIF have been derived: cracks with straight or circular fronts, but also when bifurcations exist, with wavy front. For an initial straight crack, it has been shown that, in homogeneous media, in the quasistatic case, perturbations of all lengthscales progressively disappear unless disordered fracture properties yields Family and Vicsek (1985) roughness of the crack front. Extension of those perturbation approaches to more realistic geometries and to coalescence of cracks is also envisaged.     

CTOD试验焊缝表面开缺口试样裂纹前沿平直度研究

对于裂纹尖端张开位移(CTOD)试验,焊缝试样中预制疲劳裂纹前沿平直度直接影响了试样制备的合格率,是试验的关键难题之一．试验中常对试样进行预处理以提高裂纹前沿平直度,但由此也使试验结果与实际情况产生一定差异．本文深入研究规范BS7448: Part2中对焊缝试样取样方向的规定,对表面开缺口试样裂纹尖端焊接残余应力进行分析,运用大型有限元软件ANSYS模拟90mm厚钢板焊接过程,求解了横向残余应力沿板厚方向及焊缝方向的分布规律,研究出横向残余应力分布是影响焊缝试样预制裂纹前沿平直度的主要原因,并通过试验进行验证．试验结果表明,表面开缺口试样可不经过局部韧带压缩等预处理而得到合格的裂纹前沿平直度,试验不改变原焊缝残余应力,可测得更加接近焊缝实际情况的CTOD韧度值,给CTOD试验中合理选取焊缝试样取样方向提供了新思路．     

Asymptotic mechanical fields at the tip of a mode I crack in rubber-like solids

Asymptotic analyses of the mechanical fields in front of stationary and propagating cracks facilitate the understanding of the mechanical and physical state in front of crack tips, and they enable prediction of crack growth and failure. Furthermore, efficient modelling of arbitrary crack growth by use of XFEM (extended finite element method) requires accurate knowledge of the asymptotic crack tip fields. In the present work, we perform an asymptotic analysis of the mechanical fields in the vicinity of a propagating mode I crack in rubber. Plane deformation is assumed, and the material model is based on the Langevin function, which accounts for the finite extensibility of polymer chains. The Langevin function is approximated by a polynomial, and only the term of the highest order contributes to the asymptotic solution. The crack is predicted to adopt a wedge-like shape, i.e. the crack faces will be straight lines. The angle of the wedge and the order of the stress singularity depend on the hardening of the strain energy function. The present analysis shows that in materials with a significant hardening, the inertia term in the equations of motion becomes negligible in the asymptotic analysis. Hence, there is no upper theoretical limit to the crack speed.     

Dynamic stability of a propagating crack

In this work we investigate the stability of a straight two-dimensional dynamically propagating crack to small perturbation of its path. Willis and Movchan (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 43 (1995) 319; J. Mech. Phys. Solids 45 (1997) 591) constructed formulae for the perturbations of the stress intensity factors induced by a small three-dimensional dynamic perturbation of a nominally plane crack. Their solution is exploited here to derive equations for the in-plane and out-of-plane perturbations of the crack path making use of the Griffith fracture criterion and the principle of “local symmetry” (i.e the crack propagates so that local K_II=0). We consider a crack propagating in a body loaded by a pair of point body forces and subjected to a remote uniaxial stress, aligned with the direction of the unperturbed crack. We assume that the loading follows the crack as the crack advances and is such that the unperturbed crack is subjected to Mode I loading. We perform an analysis of the stability of the dynamic crack in a similar way as in earlier work (Obrezanova et al., J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50 (2002) 57) on the quasistatically advancing crack. We present numerical results illustrating the influence of the crack velocity on the crack stability. Numerical computations of the possible crack paths have been performed which show that at velocities of crack propagation exceeding about one-third of the speed of Rayleigh waves the crack may admit one or more oscillatory modes of instability.     

Influence of singularity dominated zone for propagating cracks in finite size specimens

The singularity dominated zones for straight as well as curved cracks propagating in finite size specimens were determined experimentally by using the optical method of dynamic photoelasticity using the near-field stress equations. Experimental data was carefully analyzed using improved numerical schemes to get the complete stress field around the propagating crack. This stress field was critically examined to evaluate the size of singularity dominated zones for cracks propagating in straight as well as curved paths. For this purpose, the exact solution was compared with the singular solution using stress components σ_x, σ_y, τ_xy and the maximum shear stress τ_max as a criterion respectively. For straight cracks where the stress field is symmetric about the crack path, the singularity dominated zones can be determined by using any one of the stresses. However, for a curved crack, the zones were unsymmetric. This study shows that σ_y, the crack opening stress, yields the best result for characterizing the singularity dominated zone around a running crack tip.     

Stress-intensity factors for a semi-infinite plane crack with a wavy front

The stress-intensity factors for a semi-infinite plane crack with a wavy front are determined when the crack faces are subjected to normal and shearing tractions. The results are derived using asymptotic methods and are valid to O(²) where =A/1; A is the amplitude and is the wavelength of the wavy front. The normal and shearing tractions are in the form of line loads parallel to the crack front.The results are then used to evaluate, in a qualitative manner, the growth characteristics of a semi-infinite plance crack with a wavy front under combined mode loading. This provides a possible explanation of crack front segmentation observed experimentally.     

Crack bifurcation in laminar ceramics having large compressive stress

Crack bifurcation is observed in laminar ceramics that contain large residual compressive stress. In such composites, alternating material layers have tensile and compressive residual stress, due to thermal expansion mismatch or other sources. The compressive stress ensures that crack growth leading to failure in the laminar system is mediated by threshold strength, but, in some cases, it also leads to bifurcation of the propagating flaw. The phenomenon of bifurcation takes place when the crack tip is propagating in the compressive layer, and occurs typically at a distance equal to a few laminate thicknesses below the free surface and beyond. The observation of this phenomenon is usually associated with the presence of edge cracking in the compressive layers of the laminar ceramic, although it can also occur in the absence of such edge cracks. In the few cases where bifurcation occurs without edge cracks, the residual stresses and layer thicknesses are close to the condition in which edge cracks will occur. In addition, in this case the bifurcation is confined to near the specimen free surface, and below the bifurcation plane, the cracks are straight. The energy release rates for the straight and bifurcated cracks are calculated from the results of finite element computations and compared. When edge cracking is ignored, the crack is simulated as a through-thickness crack in an infinite body, and the energy release rate is used to predict crack deviation and bifurcation. Based on this, the finite element model successfully predicts bifurcation in only one material combination that was investigated in experiments. However, the experimental bifurcation takes place in two additional material combinations. When the effect of edge cracking is incorporated into the finite element simulations, the energy release rate calculations successfully predict the phenomenon of bifurcation in three material combinations, as observed in the experiments. Since no edge cracks are present in the fourth material combination tested experimentally, its lack of bifurcations is automatically predicted by the model. The presence of edge cracking, or its incipience, is thus concluded to be critical to the occurrence of crack bifurcation in laminar ceramic composites.     

Propagating semi-infinite crack in fluid-saturated porous medium of finite height

Derived in this work are the Mode I stress intensity factor results for a constant velocity semi-infinite crack moving in a fluid-saturated porous medium with finite height. Two limiting cases are discussed; they correspond to a low and high speed crack propagation. To be expected is that the crack front stress intensification would increase as the medium height is reduced in relation to the segment length in which mechanical pressure is applied. Moreover, the stress intensity factor for the high speed crack is larger than the low speed crack, the magnification of which depends on the material. Dissatisfaction of the crack surface and tip boundary condition is found in the present solution which calls possibly for the additional consideration of a local boundary layer as discussed by other authors.     

Discontinuous deformation gradients near the tip of a crack in finite anti-plane shear: an example

Summary This investigation aims at the elastostatic field near the edges (tips) of a plane crack of finite width in an all-round infinite body, which — at infinity — is subjected to a state of simple shear parallel to the crack edges. The analysis is carried out within the fully nonlinear equilibrium theory of homogeneous and isotropic, incompressible elastic solids. Further, the particular constitutive law employed here gives rise to a loss of ellipticity of the governing displacement equation of equilibrium in the presence of sufficiently severe anti-plane shear deformations.The study reported in this paper is asymptotic in the sense that the actual crack is replaced by a semi-infinite one, while the far field is required to match the elastostatic field predicted near the crack tips by the linearized theory for a crack of finite width. The ensuing global boundary-value problem thus characterizes the local state of affairs in the vicinity of a crack-tip, provided the amount of shear applied at infinity is suitably small.An explicit exact solution to this problem, which is deduced with the aid of the hodograph method, exhibits finite shear stresses at the tips of the crack, but involves two symmetrically located lines of displacement-gradient and stress discontinuity issuing from each crack-tip.The results communicated in this paper were obtained in the course of an investigation supported by Contract N00014-75-C-0196 with the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C.