Crack opening displacement for two unequal straight cracks with coalesced plastic zones – A modified Dugdale model

The problem investigated is of an infinite plate weakened by two collinear unequal hairline straight quasi-static cracks. Uniform constant tension is applied at infinity in a direction perpendicular to the rims of the cracks. Consequently the rims of the cracks open in Mode I type deformation. The tension at infinity is increased to the limit such that the plastic zones developed at the two adjacent interior tips of cracks get coalesced. To arrest the crack from further opening normal cohesive variable stress distribution is applied on the rims of the plastic zones. Closed form analytic expressions are obtained for load bearing capacity and crack opening displacement (COD). An illustrative case is discussed to study the behavior of load bearing capacity and crack opening displacement with respect to affecting parameters viz. crack length, plastic zone length and inter crack distance between the two cracks. Results obtained are reported graphically and analyzed.