CORRECT FORMULATION AND SOLUTION OF NEAR-TIP FIELD PROBLEM FOR CRACK GROWING IN COMPRESSIBLE ELASTIC-PLASTIC MATERIALS

In the 5-sector solution by Drugan et al. for near-tip field of plane strain crack growing in compressible materials, the plastic flow rule is violated in the plastic zone (called the nonsingular zone by Rice) between the central fan sector and the elastic unloading sector. Based on the theoretical framework provided by Rice and supplemented by the "unloading boundary theorem", the correct formulation of the problem is given and the correct asymptotic solution for the near-tip field of the crack growth is obtained.