Dynamic Analysis of a Mode I Propagating Crack Subjected to a Concentrated Load

Abstract

This work investigates the phenomenon of mode I central crack propagating with a constant speed subjected to a concentrated load on the crack surfaces. This problem is not a self-similar problem. However, the method of self-similar potential (SSP) in conjunction with superposition can be successfully applied if the time delay and the origin shift are considered. After the complete solution is obtained, attention is stressed on the dynamic stress intensity factors (DSIFs). Analytical results indicate that the DSIF equals the static stress intensity factor if the crack-tip speed is very slow and equal to zero if the crack-tip velocity approaches the Rayleigh-wave speed. However, the dynamic effect becomes obvious only if the crack-tip speed is 0.4 times faster than the S-wave speed. Moreover, the combination of SSP method and the superposition scheme can be applied to the expanding uniformly distributed load acting on a portion of the crack surfaces.