Energy release rate during the cracking of composite materials

The present study evaluates the energy release rate during the propagation of a crack in the presence of a dislocation in the vicinity of the crack's tip. The problem is formulated using a composite material (glass) having an equivalent elasticity modulus and a Poisson ratio. In this research work, the proposed material is a square specimen with an edge crack and subjected to tensile stresses according to the mode 1 opening. It is shown throughout this study that by using a numerical approach such as FEM along with the software (ABAQUS), the stress field and stress intensity factor are determined for different crack's length. Besides, energy release rate during crack propagation are calculated. Obtained results are compared and agreed with those determined by A. Irwin. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.