Interaction of multiple cracks in a rectangular plate

This paper is concerned with interaction of multiple cracks in a finite plate by using the hybrid displacement discontinuity method (a boundary element method). Detail solutions of the stress intensity factors (SIFs) of the multiple-crack problems in a rectangular plate are given, which can reveal the effect of geometric parameters of the cracked body on the SIFs. The numerical results reported here illustrate that the boundary element method is simple, yet accurate for calculating the SIFs of multiple crack problems in a finite plate.