Interaction of penny-shaped cracks with a half-plane crack (Q1309487)

Three-dimensional interactions between a half-plane crack and penny- shaped cracks which are not necessarily located in the same plane are analysed using the ``weight function'' method of three-dimensional crack analysis. Analytical expressions are given for the interaction kernels in the integral equations with the opening displacements of penny-shaped cracks as unknown functions. By using the Rayleigh-Ritz method the singularities of the kernels are weakened to make them suitable for finite element calculations. The weak form equations are also solved by a simple method after approximating the opening displacement over each crack by a constant times a square root function of the distance from its edge.