Impact Response of a Single Edge Crack in an Orthotropic Strip

The elastodynamic response of a single edge crack in an orthotropic strip under normal impact is considered in this study. The edge crack is oriented in a direction normal to the edge of the strip. Laplace and Fourier transforms are used to reduce the transient problem to the solution of a pair of dual integral equations in the Laplace transform plane. The solution to the dual integral equations is then expressed in terms of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. A numerical Laplace inversion routine is used to recover the time dependence of the solution. Numerical values on the dynamic stress intensity factor for several fiber-reinforced composite materials are obtained, and the results are graphed to display the influence of the material orthotropy.