Assessment of asymmetric crack initiation in open‐hole plates using a coupled stress and energy criterion

Abstract

An application of the finite fracture mechanics concept to open-hole plates subject to combined tensile and bending loading is presented. In finite fracture mechanics, the simultaneous satisfaction of both, a stress and an energy criterion, is enforced as a condition for crack initiation. Efficient modeling and closed-form expressions for the dependence of the stress and energy quantities on governing structural and material parameters allow for a comprehensive numerical analysis of the onset of asymmetric crack patterns. The obtained failure load predictions are found to agree well with a cohesive zone model and experimental data from literature.