Interaction between Griffith cracks in a sandwiched orthotropic layer Original Research Article

A study is made of the interaction between three coplanar Griffith cracks which are located symmetrically in the midplane of an orthotropic layer of finite thickness 2h sandwiched between two identical orthotropic half planes. The Fourier transform technique is used to reduce the elastostatic problem to a set of integral equations which have been solved by using the finite Hilbert transform and Cookeʹs results. Analytical expressions for the stress intensity factors at the tips of cracks are obtained for large values of h. Numerical results concerning the interaction effects are presented with physical significance. It is shown that interaction effects are either shielding or amplification depending on the location of cracks, spacing of crack-tips, and the thickness of the layer. The stress magnification factors at the crack-tips are also calculated.