Wave propagation in an elastic solid with a line of discontinuity or finite crack

With the aid of integral transforms, a method is presented for solving the problem of scattering of plane harmonic compression and shear waves by a line of discontinuity or crack of finite width embedded in an elastic medium of infinite extent. When the incoming waves are applied in an arbitrary direction, the scattered-wave field may be determined by separating the crack-surface boundary conditions into functions even and odd with respect to the variable along the line crack. The problem is reduced to the evaluation of a system of coupled Fredholm integral equations with special emphasis placed on finding the near-field solution which consists of a knowledge of the detailed structure of the displacements and stresses in a small region around the crack vertex. Dynamic stress-intensity factors, the critical values of which govern the condition of crack propagation, are defined and found to be dependent on the incident wave length and Poisson’s ratio of the medium. At certain wave lengths, they are larger than those encountered under static loading. Such information is of particular importance in perdicting the fracture strength of structures subjected to oscillating loads.