Abstract
In this paper two singular stress functions suited to analyze crack problems of plates are presented. One of them is a stress function of two-dimensional problems which creates a crack opening displacement due to normal loads applied along the crack (mode 1) in an infinite plate. The other is the same function as that but due to shear loads along the crack (mode 2). The Authors define these two functions as elementary crack function with opening of unit length. Super-posing these functions with different length of elementary crack opening, the stress concentrations due to many cracks contained in the infinite plate can be analyzed numerically with good accuracy. The characteristics of this method is that the stress softening zones at both end of the crack can be constructed where either crack opening displacements or stress concentrations with finite magnitude appear.
