Stresses in an Infinite Strip Containing a Semi-Infinite Crack

Abstract

Stresses in an infinitely long strip of finite width containing a straight semi-infinite crack have been calculated for the case that the clamped boundaries are displaced normal to the crack. The solution is obtained by the Wiener-Hopf technique. The stresses are given in the form of asymptotic expansions in the immediate crack tip vicinity and for a larger region of interest in graphical form. The effect of prescribing displacements on the boundary close to a crack instead of stresses far away is discussed briefly. Together with an asymptotic solution for a small crack, the result is used to estimate the stress field around a crack of arbitrary length in an infinite strip. The usefulness of this crack geometry in laboratory investigations of fracture mechanics is pointed out.