J-integral for delaminated beam and plate models

Abstract

In this work the J-integral is applied to calculate the energy release rate in simple beam and plate models. Four examples are considered: the mode-I double-cantilever beam, the mode-II end-notched flexure, the mixed-mode I/II single-leg bending specimens and a delaminated plate with simply-supported edges, respectively. In each example the details of calculation are given, in the latter case the distribution of the energy release rate along the crack front is calculated. While for delaminated beams the literature presents the energy release rates in numerous studies, the J-integral calculation is not trivial in theses cases. Moreover for delaminated bent plates the application of the J-integral is not documented. It is shown that considering the classical plate theory there are serious limitations to calculate representative energy release rates.