Experimental calculation of mixed-mode notch stress intensity factors for anisotropic materials

This study developed a least-squares method to find the notch stress intensity factors (SIFs) of anisotropic materials using image-correlation experiments without the requirement of smooth procedures. Complex displacement functions are deduced into a least-squares form, and then displacements from the image-correlation experiments are substituted into the least-squares equation to evaluate the notch SIFs for anisotropic materials. Experimental results compared with the H-integral and finite element analyses show that the SIFs evaluated from the current method are acceptably accurate if more than five displacement terms are included. Moreover, the least-squares SIFs are not sensitive to the maximum or minimum radius of the area from which data is included, so experimental data very near the notch tip is not necessary.