Analysis of two-dimensional finite solids withmicrocracks

A general method is presented for solving the plane elasticity problem of finite plateswith multiple microcracks. The method directly accounts for the interactions between differentmicrocracks and the effect of outer boundary of a finite plate. Analysis is based on a superpositionscheme and series expansions of the complex potentials. By using the traction-free conditions oneach crack surface and resultant forces relations along outer boundary, a set of governingequations is formulated. The governing equations are solved numerically on the basis of aboundary collocation procedure. The effective Youngs moduli for randomly oriented cracks andparallel cracks are evaluated for rectangular plates with microcracks. The numerical results arecompared with those from various micromechanics models and experimental data. These resultsshow that the present method provides a direct and efficient approach to deal with finite solidscontaining multiple microcracks.