A Tension Crack Impinging Upon Frictional Interfaces

A crack impinging normally upon a frictional interface is studied theoretically. We employ a solution technique which superposes the solution of a crack in a perfectly-bonded elastic medium with a continuous distribution of dislocations which represent slippage at the frictional interface. This procedure reduces the problem to a singular integral equation which is solved numerically. Specifically, we consider the problem of an infinite sheet subjected to uniaxial tension containing a finite crack which lies normal to the tension axis and has both crack tips impinging normally on frictional interfaces. The limiting problem of a semi-infinite crack impinging on a frictional interface is considered as well. Posed as model problems for cracking in weakly bonded fiber composites, these studies reveal the effective blunting that can result when a weak interface serves to deflect a propagating crack.