Propagation of crack in a pre-stressed inhomogeneous poroelastic medium influenced by shear wave

•Crack propagation due to SH-wave in a heterogeneous poroelastic strip under initial stresses has been investigated.•The expression of stress intensity factor has been determined in closed form.•Wiener–Hopf technique has been employed in the solution procedure.•Influences of porosity parameter and anisotropy parameter on stress intensity factor have been delineated.•Emphatic impacts of initial stresses and heterogeneity on stress intensity factor have been traced out.

A mathematical model has been developed for the analytical study of propagation of crack due to horizontally polarized shear wave (SH-wave) in an initially stressed inhomogeneous poroelastic strip. The expression of stress intensity factor for the force of constant intensity has been determined in closed form. The emphatic impact of various affecting parameters viz. speed of the crack, length of the crack, horizontal compressive or tensile initial stress, vertical compressive or tensile initial stress, heterogeneity parameter, porosity parameter and anisotropy parameter on the stress intensity factor in an initially stressed inhomogeneous poroelastic strip has been depicted by means of graphs. In order to solve the problem, Wiener–Hopf technique specified by Matczynski has been employed. Moreover, some special cases have been deduced from the procured expression of stress intensity factor for the force of constant intensity.