Kinking of a crack under dynamic loading conditions

Summary A method is presented to analyze elastodynamic stress intensity factors at the tip of a branch which emanates at velocity v and under an angle from the tip of a semi-infinite crack, when the faces of the semi-infinite crack are subjected to impulsive normal pressures. By taking advantage of self-similarity, the system of governing equations is reduced to a set of two Laplace's equations in half-plane regions. The solutions to these equations, which are coupled along the real axes of the half-planes, are obtained by using complex function theory together with summations over Chebychev polynomials. For small values of the Mode I and Mode II stress intensity factors and the corresponding flux of energy into the crack tip have been computed.