A numerical method for a void-crack interaction under cyclic loads

This paper presents a numerical method to model a general system containing cracks and voids in an infinite elastic plate under remote cyclic loads. By extending Bueckner's principle suited for a crack to ageneral system containing cracks and voids, the original problem is divided into a homogeneous problem (the one without cracks and voids) subjected to remote loads and a void-crack problem in an unloaded body with applied tractions on the surfaces of cracks and voids. Thus, the results in terms of the stress intensity factors can be calculated by considering the latter problem, which is analyzed easily by using the hybrid displacement discontinuity method (a boundary elementmethod). Further, a fatigue growth technique of amixed-mode crack is combined with the numerical approach to simulating a void-crack interaction problem under cyclic loads. Test examples are included to illustrate that the numerical method is very simple and effective for analyzing avoid-crack interaction problem.