A hybrid technique for improvedK determination from photoelastic data

A hybrid technique for determination of stressintensity factors from static-and dynamic-photoelastic-fringe data is proposed which combines both the generalized Westergaard stress function approach and a boundary collocation method. The new technique is especially useful for problems where a short crack initiates from a shallow notch or a crack approaches a free boundary. Modifications toward a mixed dynamic-near-field static-far-field solution procedure are discussed.