Weight functions for multiple edge cracks in a coating

•The weight functions for multiple cracks located in a segmented coating have been investigated.•The scaling relationships were revealed between weight function and some important parameters.•The sensitivity analyses on the weight function were carried out through a parametric study.•An empirical formula was obtained for the dimensionless weight function.

In this paper, the weight function for multiple edge cracks located in a segmented coating has been investigated. The stress intensity factors (SIFs) for two reference loading configurations were computed via the finite element (FE) method. Dimensional analysis was used to reveal the scaling relationships between the weight function and some important parameters such as dimensionless crack depth, crack spacing and material constants. The sensitivity analyses were carried out through a parametric study and the results were presented in graphical forms. A simple approach for fitting the computational results was given and the fitting formulas for weight functions were obtained.