Estimation of Stress Intensity Factors for Embedded Irregular Cracks Subjected to Arbitrary Normal Stress Fields

An integral is developed for calculating opening mode stress intensity factor at any point on the front of an irregular planar crack embedded in an infinite solid and subjected to an arbitrary normal stress field. No other solutions are available for irregular cracks, therefore the integral is first used to analyze three-dimensional regular cracks for which there are solutions. An embedded square crack is used to illustrate the integral procedure for an irregular shape. The integral is also used to explain qualitatively how irregular fatigue cracks will grow.