Strip Yield Model Numerical Application to Different Geometries and Loading Conditions

A new numerical method based on the strip yield analysis approach was developed for calculating the Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD). This approach can be applied to any crack geometry, of either infinite or finite extent, with arbitrary applied loading conditions. The technique is an adaptation of the dislocation-density based boundary element method to obtain crack-face opening displacements at any point on a crack, and succeeds in obtaining the requisite values as a series of definite integrals, the functional parts of each of which are evaluated exactly in closed form. The power of the technique is demonstrated by obtaining solutions to several crack configurations of practical interest.