A general solution for the plane problem in piezoelectric media with collinear cracks

The plane problem in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric medium with collinear cracks is studied, based on the exact electric boundary conditions on the crack faces. The complex potential method is used to reduce the problem to a Remmain-Hilbert problem. Explicit, closed-form solutions are obtained both in the piezoelectric medium and inside the cracks, when the medium is subjected to concentrated loads at an arbitrary point and uniform loads at infinity. It is shown in the case of uniform loads, that the stress intensity factors are the same as those in isotropic media, while the electric displacement intensity factor depends on material constants and the applied mechanical load, but not on the applied electric load. in other words, the uniform electric load has no influence on the field singularities. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.