Sudden deceleration or acceleration of an intersonic shear crack

Sudden jumps in the crack tip velocity were revealed by numerical simulation (in both continuum/cohesive element and molecular dynamics approaches) and experiments for rapid shear cracking. The cracking velocity may accelerate from a sub-Rayleigh speed to the intersonic range, or from an intersonic speed to a higher one, when the reflected impact wave reloads the crack tip. On the other hand, the cracking velocity may decelerate from an intersonic speed to a lower one or recede to the sub-Rayleigh range when the fracture driving force declines. The velocity change encountered during intersonic cracking plays a different role from that in the acceleration or deceleration of a subsonic crack. A crack propagating at an intersonic speed would leave a shear wave trailing behind. When the crack decelerates or accelerates, the effect of the trailing wave will lead to a transition period from one steady-state solution of crack tip singularity to another. This investigation aims at quantifying these processes. The full field solution of an intersonic mode II crack whose speed changed suddenly from one velocity (intersonic or subsonic) to another (intersonic or subsonic) is given in closed form. The solution is facilitated via superposing a series of propagating crack problems that are loaded by dislocations to seal the unwanted crack-face sliding or by concentrated forces moving at various speeds to negate the crack-face traction. In contrast to the subsonic solution, the results in the intersonic case indicate that the elastic fields around the crack tip depend on the deceleration or acceleration history that is traced back over a long time. Singularity matching dictates the jump that may actually take place.     

Stability of an intersonic shear crack to a perturbation of its edge

A weight function matrix is developed for obtaining the stress singularity coefficients at the edge of a plane crack, moving uniformly at an intersonic speed while subjected to arbitrary shear loading. This is then utilised for deriving, to first order, the perturbations of these coefficients associated with a small spatially and temporally varying perturbation of its edge. The perturbation solution is employed, in conjunction with a simple fracture criterion, to investigate the stability of a uniformly moving intersonic crack, subjected to following loads.     

Transition of mode II cracks from sub-Rayleigh to intersonic speeds in the presence of favorable heterogeneity

Understanding sub-Rayleigh-to-intersonic transition of mode II cracks is a fundamental problem in fracture mechanics with important practical implications for earthquake dynamics and seismic radiation. In the Burridge-Andrews mechanism, an intersonic daughter crack nucleates, for sufficiently high prestress, at the shear stress peak traveling with the shear wave speed in front of the main crack. We find that sub-Rayleigh-to-intersonic transition and sustained intersonic propagation occurs in a number of other models that subject developing cracks to intersonic loading fields. We consider a spontaneously expanding sub-Rayleigh crack (or main crack) which advances, along a planar interface with linear slip-weakening friction, towards a place of favorable heterogeneity, such as a preexisting subcritical crack or a small patch of higher prestress (similar behavior is expected for a small patch of lower static strength). For a range of model parameters, a secondary dynamic crack nucleates at the heterogeneity and acquires intersonic speeds due to the intersonic stress field propagating in front of the main crack. Transition to intersonic speeds occurs directly at the tip of the secondary crack, with the tip accelerating rapidly to values numerically equal to the Rayleigh wave speed and then abruptly jumping to an intersonic speed. Models with favorable heterogeneity achieve intersonic transition and propagation for much lower prestress levels than the ones implied by the Burridge-Andrews mechanism and have transition distances that depend on the position of heterogeneity. We investigate the dependence of intersonic transition and subsequent crack propagation on model parameters and discuss implications for earthquake dynamics.     

Intersonic crack propagation in homogeneous media under shear-dominated loading: theoretical analysis

The mechanics of cohesive failure under mixed-mode loading is investigated for the case of a steadily propagating subsonic and intersonic dynamic crack subjected to a follower tensile and shear distributed load. The cohesive failure model chosen in this study is rate independent but accounts for the coupling between normal and tangential damage. Special emphasis is placed here on mixed-mode cases with predominantly shear loading. The analysis shows that the size of the mixed-mode cohesive zone is smaller than that obtained in the pure shear case. The relative extent of the shear and tensile cohesive damage zones depends on the crack speed and the mode mixity. In the intersonic regime, the failure process takes place exclusively in shear, even under remote mixed-mode loading conditions.     

Subsonic and intersonic mode II crack propagation with a rate-dependent cohesive zone

A recent experimental study has demonstrated the attainability of intersonic shear crack growth along weak planes in otherwise homogeneous, isotropic, linear elastic solids subjected to remote loading conditions (Rosakis et al., Science 284 (5418) (1999) 1337). The relevant experimental observations are summarized briefly here and the conditions governing the attainment of intersonic crack speeds are examined. Motivated by experimental observations, subsonic and intersonic mode II crack propagation with a rate-dependent cohesive zone is subsequently analyzed. A cohesive law is assumed, wherein the cohesive shear traction is either a constant or varies linearly with the local sliding rate. Complete decohesion is assumed to occur when the crack tip sliding displacement reaches a material-specific critical value. Closed form expressions are obtained for the near-tip fields. With a cohesive zone of finite size, it is found that the dynamic energy release rate is finite through out the intersonic regime. Crack tip stability issues are addressed and favorable speed regimes are identified. The influence of shear strength of the crack plane and of a rate parameter on crack propagation behavior is also investigated. The isochromatic fringe patterns predicted by the analytical solution are compared with the experimental observations of Rosakis et al. (1999) and comments are made on the validity of the proposed model.     

A general solution method for an anti-plane shear crack dynamically accelerating along a bimaterial interface

We develop a general solution method for a dynamically accelerating crack under anti-plane shear conditions along the interface between two different homogeneous isotropic elastic materials. The crack is initially at rest, and after loading is applied the crack-tip speed which may accelerate up to the shear wave speed of the more compliant material. The analysis includes an exact, closed-form expression for the stress intensity factor for an arbitrary time-dependent crack-face traction, as well as expressions for computing the crack-face displacements and the stress in front of the crack. We also present some numerical examples for fixed loads and for loads moving with the crack tip, using a stress intensity factor fracture criterion, in order to examine the predicted effect of material mismatch on interfacial fracture.     

Full field analysis of an anti-plane interface crack subjected to dynamic body forces

In this study, the transient full field response of an interface crack between two different media subjected to dynamic body force at one material is investigated. For time t < 0, the bimaterial medium is stress free and at rest. At t = 0, a concentrated anti-plane dynamic point loading is applied at the medium as shown in Fig. 1. The total wave field is due to the effect of this point loading and the scattering of the incident waves by the interface crack. An alternative methodology that is different from the conventional superposition method is used to construct the reflected, refracted and diffracted wave fields. A useful fundamental solution is proposed in this study and the full field solution is determined by superposition of the fundamental solution in the Laplace transform domain. The proposed fundamental problem is the problem of applying an exponentially distributed traction (in the Laplace transform domain) on the interfacial crack faces. The Cagniard–de Hoop method of Laplace inversion is used to obtain the transient solution in time domain. Exact transient closed form solutions for stresses and stress intensity factors are obtained. Numerical results for the time history of stresses and stress intensity factors during the transient process are discussed in detail.     

Eccentric crack in a piezoelectric strip bonded to half planes

We consider the problem of determining the singular stresses and electric fields in a piezoelectric ceramic strip containing an eccentric Griffith crack off the centre line bonded to two elastic half planes under anti-plane shear loading using the continuous crack-face condition. Fourier transforms are used to reduce the problem to the solution of two pairs of dual integral equations, which are then expressed to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Numerical values on the stress intensity factor and energy release rate are obtained.     

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.     

The stress intensity factor history for an advancing crack in a transversely isotropic solid under 3-D loading

The mode I extension of a half plane crack in a transversely isotropic solid under 3-D loading is analyzed. Firstly, the fundamental problem that the crack is subjected to a pair of unit point loads on its faces is considered. Transform methods are used to reduce the boundary value problem to a single integral equation that can be solved by the Wiener–Hopf technique. The Cagniard–de Hoop method is employed to invert the transforms. An exact expression is derived for the mode I stress intensity factor as a function of time and position along the crack edge. Based on the fundamental solution, the stress intensity factor history due to general loading is then obtained. Some features of the solutions are discussed through numerical results.     

Dynamic behaviors of mode III interfacial crack under a constant loading rate

In an earlier study on intersonic crack propagation, Gao et al. (J. Mech. Phys. Solids 49: 2113–2132, 2001) described molecular dynamics simulations and continuum analysis of the dynamic behaviors of a mode II dominated crack moving along a weak plane under a constant loading rate. The crack was observed to initiate its motion at a critical time after the onset of loading, at which it is rapidly accelerated to the Rayleigh wave speed and propagates at this speed for a finite time interval until an intersonic daughter crack is nucleated at a peak stress at a finite distance ahead of the original crack tip. The present article aims to analyze this behavior for a mode III crack moving along a bi-material interface subject to a constant loading rate. We begin with a crack in an initially stress-free bi-material subject to a steadily increasing stress. The crack initiates its motion at a critical time governed by the Griffith criterion. After crack initiation, two scenarios of crack propagation are investigated: the first one is that the crack moves at a constant subsonic velocity; the second one is that the crack moves at the lower shear wave speed of the two materials. In the first scenario, the shear stress ahead of the crack tip is singular with exponent ?1/2, as expected; in the second scenario, the stress singularity vanishes but a peak stress is found to emerge at a distance ahead of the moving crack tip. In the latter case, a daughter crack supersonic with respect to the softer medium can be expected to emerge ahead of the initial crack once the peak stress reaches the cohesive strength of the interface.     

Effects of material gradients on transient dynamic mode-III stress intensity factors in a FGM

This paper presents a transient dynamic crack analysis for a functionally graded material (FGM) by using a hypersingular time-domain boundary integral equation method. The spatial variations of the material parameters of the FGM are described by an exponential law. A numerical solution procedure is developed for solving the hypersingular time-domain traction BIE. To avoid the use of time-dependent Green’s functions which are not available for general FGM, a convolution quadrature formula is adopted for approximating the temporal convolution, while a Galerkin method is applied for the spatial discretization of the hypersingular time-domain traction BIE. Numerical results for the transient dynamic stress intensity factors for a finite crack in an infinite and linear elastic FGM subjected to an impact anti-plane crack-face loading are presented and discussed. The effects of the material gradients of the FGM on the transient dynamic stress intensity factors and their dynamic overshoot over the corresponding static stress intensity factors are analyzed.     

Dynamic crack growth along a polymer composite-Homalite interface

Dynamic crack growth along the interface of a fiber-reinforced polymer composite-Homalite bimaterial subjected to impact shear loading is investigated experimentally and numerically. In the experiments, the polymer composite-Homalite specimens are impacted with a projectile causing shear dominated interfacial cracks to initiate and subsequently grow along the interface at speeds faster than the shear wave speed of Homalite. Crack growth is observed using dynamic photoelasticity in conjunction with high-speed photography. The calculations are carried out for a plane stress model of the experimental configuration and are based on a cohesive surface formulation that allows crack growth, when it occurs, to emerge as a natural outcome of the deformation history. The effect of impact velocity and loading rate is explored numerically. The experiments and calculations are consistent in identifying discrete crack speed regimes within which crack growth at sustained crack speeds is possible. We present the first conclusive experimental evidence of interfacial crack speeds faster than any characteristic elastic wave speed of the more compliant material. The occurrence of this crack speed was predicted numerically and the calculations were used to design the experiments. In addition, the first experimental observation of a mother-daughter crack mechanism allowing a subsonic crack to evolve into an intersonic crack is documented. The calculations exhibit all the crack growth regimes seen in the experiments and, in addition, predict a regime with a pulse-like traction distribution along the bond line.     

Reflection and transmission of antiplane surface waves by a surface-breaking crack in a layered elastic solid

The reflection and transmission of antiplane surface waves (Love waves) by a surface-breaking crack in a layered elastic solid is investigated. The crack is normal to the free surface, and breaks into the lower half-space solid. The formulation of the problem is reduced to a singular integral equation of the Cauchy type. In this equation, the unknown function, which is the slope of the crack-face displacement, is discontinuous at the interface between the two solids. It is shown that the magnitude of the discontinuity is related to the ratio of the shear moduli. A Gaussian numerical method is used to obtain the solution of the singular integral equation. At some distance from the plane of the crack, the wave motion is the superposition of a finite number of Love-wave modes. The amplitudes of these modes are readily evaluated in terms of the slope of the crack-face displacement. Curves are presented for the reflection coefficients corresponding to the first three modes and for the transmission coefficient as functions of the dimensionless frequency.     

Dynamic analysis of a penny-shaped dielectric crack in a magnetoelectroelastic solid under impacts

The transient response of a magneto-electro-elastic material with a penny-shaped dielectric crack subjected to in-plane magneto-electro-mechanical impacts is made. To simulate an opening crack with a dielectric interior, the crack-face electromagnetic boundary conditions are supposed to depend on the crack opening displacement and the jumps of electric and magnetic potentials across the crack. Four ideal crack-face electromagnetic boundary conditions involving a combination of electrically permeable or impermeable and magnetically permeable or impermeable assumptions can be reduced. The Laplace and Hankel transform techniques are further utilized to solve the mixed initial-boundary-value problem. Three coupling Fredholm integral equations are obtained and solved by the composite Simpson's rule. Dynamic field intensity factors of stress, electric displacement, magnetic induction, crack opening displacement (COD), electric potential and magnetic potential are given in the Laplace transform domain. By means of a numerical inversion of the Laplace transform, numerical results are calculated to show the variations of the physical parameters of concern versus the normalized time in graphics. The effects of applied electric and magnetic loads on the dynamic intensity factors of stress and COD, and the dynamic energy release rate for a BaTiO₃-CoFe₂O₄ composite with a penny-shaped vacuum crack are discussed in detail.     

Transient response of an interfacial crack between dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic layers under magnetoelectromechanical impact loadings: Mode-I problem

The dynamic response of an interfacial crack between two dissimilar magnetoelectroelastic layers is investigated under magnetic, electrical and mechanical impact loadings. Four kinds of ideal crack-face assumptions, i.e., magnetoelectrically impermeable (Case 1), magnetically impermeable and electrically permeable (Case 2), magnetically permeable and electrically impermeable (Case 3) and magnetoelectrically permeable (Case 4), are adopted separately. The dynamic field intensity factors and energy release rates are derived. The effects of loading combinations and crack configurations especially for the former on the dynamic response are examined according to energy release rate criterion. The numerical results show that, among others, a negative magnetic (or electrical) loading is generally prone to inhibit the crack extension rather than a positive one for a magnetically (or electrically) impermeable interfacial crack. Results presented in this paper should have potential applications to the design of multilayered magnetoelectroelastic structures.     

Circular crack in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric space under point forces and point charges

In this paper, two kinds of circular crack including external circular crack and penny-shaped crack in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric space are considered. Firstly, we obtain the solution to the problem of an external circular crack in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric space subjected to antisymmetric normal point forces and point charges. Based on this, the solution of one-sided loading of an external circular crack is constructed. Secondly, the real shape of an external circular crack and the opening displacement of a penny-shaped crack under an arbitrary point force and point charge are further obtained. At last, the results are presented in a graphical form. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19872060 and 69982009) and the Postdoctoral Foundation of China     

DYNAMIC CRACK MODELS ON PROBLEM OF BRIDGING FIBER PULL-OUT OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

An elastic analysis of an internal central crack with bridging fibers parallel to the free surface in an infinite orthotropic anisotropic elastic plane was performed. A dynamic model of bridging fiber pull-out of composite materials was presented. Resultingly the fiber failure is governed by maximum tensile stress, the fiber breaks and hence the crack extension should occur in self-similar fashion. By the methods of complex functions, the problem studied can be transformed into the dynamic model to the Reimann-Hilbert mixed boundary value problem, and a straightforward and easy analytical solution is presented. Analytical study on the crack propagation subjected to a ladder load and an instantaneous pulse loading is obtained respectively for orthotropic anisotropic body. By utilizing the solution, the concrete solutions of this model are attained by ways of superposition.     

Asymptotic and numerical study of a surface breaking crack subject to a transient thermal loading

An asymptotic algorithm is applied to the problem of a finite, thermo-elastic solid containing a surface breaking crack, when the exterior surface is subjected to oscillatory thermal loading. This algorithm involves the study of a model problem. An analytical and numerical study of this model problem of a thermo-elastic half space containing a surface breaking crack and subjected to oscillatory thermal loading is presented. The crack surface is traction free. In particular, the amplitude of the stress intensity factor at the crack vertex is found as a function of the crack depth and the frequency of thermal oscillation.