Compliance Functions for Through-Thickness Measurement: The LEFM Approach

Abstract

Crack compliances, as discussed throughout this book, are referred to as the unit elastic response of a cracked body to surface tractions acting on the crack faces. The surface tractions may be those actually applied on the crack faces or the residual stresses released by introducing a thin cut. Two approaches have been used to obtain crack compliances as a function of crack sizes for an arbitrary surface traction. One uses the stress intensity factor solutions from linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). Another uses numerical computations based on the finite element method, which will be introduced in the next chapter.