Crack-face displacements for embedded elliptic and semi-elliptical surface cracks

Analytical expressions for the crack-face displacements of an embedded elliptic crack in infinite solid subjected to arbitrary tractions are obtained. The tractions on the crack faces are assumed to be expressed in a polynomial form. These displacements expressions complete the exact solution of Vijayakumar and Atluri, and Nishioki and Atluri. For the special case of an embedded crack in an infinite solid subjected to uniform pressure loading, the present displacements agree with those by Green and Sneddon. The displacement equations derived were used with the finite-element alternating method (FEAM) for the analysis of a semi-elliptic surface crack in a finite solid subjected to remote tensile loading. The maximum opening displacements obtained with FEAM are compared to those with the finite-element method with singularity elements. The maximum crack opening displacements by the two methods showed good agreement.