An Analysis Of Stress Intensity Factor Due To Normal Stress For A Cracked Plate Reinforced With A Sheet By Seam Welding

It is essential in damage tolerance design to determine the stress intensity factor theoretically. The stress intensity factor for a cracked plate that is reinforced with a sheet by seam welding is determined theoretically and plotted as function of the seam welding location and stiffness ratio. The singular integral equation is derived based on the compatibility condition between the cracked plate and the reinforcement plate, and it is solved by means of Erdogan and Gupta‘s method. The theory is verified by comparing the results of the present analysis with those of a numerical analysis. The results from the present analysis show that the reinforcement effect improves as the welding line is situated closer to the crack and as the stiffness ratio of the cracked plate and the reinforcement plate increases.