A new approach to the pseudo-orthogonal properties of eigenfunction expansion form of the crack-tip complex potential function in anisotropic and piezoelectric fracture mechanics

Over the past twenty years, the well-known weight function theory based on the Bueckner work conjugate integral has been widely used to calculate crack tip fracture dominant parameter such as the stress intensity factor, the energy release rate (or the J-integral) and the T-stress in various kinds of cracked materials (e.g. isotropic materials, anisotropic materials and piezoelectric materials). Meanwhile, the pseudo-orthogonal property of the eigenfunction expansion form of the crack tip stress complex potential function has been proved to play a very important role in the theory. In this paper, we provide a new approach to establish the pseudo-orthogonal properties for crack problems in anisotropic and/or piezoelectric materials. In the latter case associated with mechanical-electric coupling, the electrical boundary conditions under both impermeable and permeable crack models are considered. The approach developed is much simpler than the classical complex variable separation technique proposed by previous researchers and hence the cumbersome and lengthy manipulations are avoided. Moreover, it is shown that, unlike previous works, the orthogonal properties of the material characteristic matrices A and B induced by the Stroh theory are no longer necessary in establishing the pseudo-orthogonal properties of eigenfunction expansion form in cracked piezoelectric materials. The approach can be easily extended to treat many other different crack problems concerning the Bueckner integral involving several complex arguments.