Nearly circular shear mode cracks (Q1094214)

In this paper we study the elasticity problems of a planar crack, lying in an infinite three-dimensional solid, the front of which differs only slightly form a circle. The crack system is subjected to loadings that induce shear mode stress intensity factors at the crack front. Quantities such as relative crack surface displacement, in-plane shear mode intensity factor \(K_ 2\) and anti-plane shear mode intensity factor \(K_ 3\) are derived in detail. The method used is based on a perturbation technique developed by \textit{J. R. Rice} [J. Appl. Mech. 52, 571-579 (1985; Zbl 0571.73104)] of calculating the first-order variation of the elastic field of a crack when its front is perturbed from some regular reference geometry. The configurational stability problems of harmonic wave form perturbations of the front of a circular crack under axisymmetric shear loading are studied using the derived formulae. The shape that a planar crack under remote uniform shear loading would take so that the energy release rate distributes uniformly along the crack front is discussed by calculating proper perturbations on a circular crack that meets the above requirement.