Thermal stress intensities at an interface crack between two elastic layers

The thermal stress intensities (energy release rate and stress intensity factors) due to temperature changes are derived in closed-form for an interface crack between two elastic layers of dissimilar materials. The solutions are two-dimensional and tabulated over a wide range of material and layer thickness combinations. The tables serve as rapid evaluations of the thermal stress intensities for given temperature changes. A strain gauge technique is given for determining constraint coefficients which reflect the constraint conditions during the temperature changes. The solutions are compared with results from the literature. The stress intensities due to thermal and mechanical loads are generally superimposed. As an example of application, the solutions are utilized to obtain the complete thermal and mechanical stress intensities for a four-point bend specimen.