Singular stress fields of angle-ply and monoclinic bimaterial wedges

The characteristic equations for the order of stress singularity of anisotropic bimaterial wedges subjected to traction boundary conditions are investigated. For an angle-ply bimaterial wedge, both fully bonded and frictional interfaces are considered, whereas for a monoclinic bimaterial wedge, a frictional interface is considered. Here, the Stroh formalism and the separation of variables technique are used. In general, the order of stress singularity can be real or complex, but for the special geometry of a crack along the frictional interface of a monoclinic composite, it is always real. Explicit characteristic equations for the order of singularity are presented for an aligned orthotropic composite with a frictional interface. Numerical results are given for an angle-ply bimaterial wedge and a monoclinic bimaterial wedge consisting of a graphite/epoxy ®ber-reinforced composite