Fracture parameter determination for the orthotropic interface crack with friction

Many important engineering problems involve cracks at bimaterial interfaces. Some examples of these problems include crack propagation and delamination at composite ply interfaces, the fracture of adhesively bonded joints, the analysis of test specimens to determine fracture properties, the interfacial failure of rock and concrete, and others. Herein, an approach that combines local analytical with global numerical solutions for the analysis of the frictional interface crack is proposed and demonstrated. The method allows the determination of near-tip stresses and stress intensity factors of complex structures with a moderate computational effort and requires no special finite element codes or elements. As an illustration, an infinite plate with a central bimaterial crack under a combination of shear and compressive loads is considered. Results have been presented for a variety of isotropic and orthotropic material combinations and coefficients of friction, and comparisons with available results in the literature show very close agreement. Overall, the method provides a practical way to analyze a variety of engineering structures with frictional interfacial cracks including isotropic and orthotropic materials.