Analysis of Fracture of an Orthotropic Plate with a Crack Under Biaxial Loading

A generalization of the model of a crack with a process zone to the case of orthotropic materials is proposed. It is assumed that the material in the process zone satisfies the strength condition of an arbitrary type. Using the proposed crack model, the fracture of an orthotropic plate with a crack under biaxial loading conditions was studied. The crack is located along one of the axes of the anisotropy, and the external loads act in parallel and perpendicularly to it. Within the framework of the criterion of critical crack opening and the critical value of the J-integral, the influence of the biaxiality of external loading on the critical state of a plate with a crack is analyzed. A numerical solution was obtained for the von Mises–Hill and Gol’denblatt–Kopnov strength criteria. The theoretical results obtained are compared with experimental data obtained by testing specimens made of structural metals.