Crack-bridging in a unidirectionally fibre-reinforced plate (Q718927)

The author examines a matrix crack situated in a unidirectional fibre-reinforced elastic plate where the fibres experience debonding over an identifiable zone. This results in a condition referred to as crack-bridging or flaw-bridging; the matrix crack is influenced by kinematic constraints exerted by bridging actions of the fibres. The problem is of interest when examining the role of delamination in ideal fibre-reinforced solids in the presence of fibre continuity. A boundary-integral equation is applied to determine the influence of elastic stiffness of bridging fibres on the stress-intensity factor at the tip of the crack, which governs the energy release for the extension of the crack. The paper presents a computational approach and provides examples that clearly demonstrate the significant role of bridging action and fibre elasticity in suppressing crack extension in a self-similar fashion.