Abstract
In fracture problems, stress intensity factors obtained theoretically or by experimental analysis have been effectively utilized in analytical evaluation of the effect of cracks. Use of the caustics method to determine the stress intensity factors of two-dimensional cracks has been established theoretically and experimentally. However, relatively few experimental analysis concerning the three-dimensional crack by using caustics method have so far been conducted.
In this study, a combination of the optical method of caustics and photoelastic stress freezing technique for measuring the stress intensity factor KⅠ, KⅢ of three-dimensional cracked-body problems is presented. The mixed mode stress intensity factors, KⅡ and KⅢ for three-dimensional crack under the complex stress condition are separately determined by using the caustics and photoelastic methods.
