Stress intensity factors based fracture criteria for kinking and branching of interface crack: application to dams

In this paper, the application of contour integral method (J. Elast. 8 ( 1978) 21, On the marriage of fracture mechanics and mixed finite elements methods: an applications to concrete dams, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Colorado, 1993) for determination of bimaterial stress intensity factors in the case of crack lying between rock/concrete interface of gravity dam is shown using the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics. The kinking angle of the interface crack is computed based on the maximum circumferential stress criteria. Criteria for branching are proposed [Appendix]. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.