Abstract:
The plane-stress state of a cracked continuous medium in tension is determined using relaxation elements. The stress state is analyzed at the tip of a crack surrounded by a plastically deformed material as a band of localized plastic deformation (LPD) shaped like an elongated ellipse. The plastic deformation considerably decreases the stress concentration at the crack tip. As the localization of the plastic deformation increases, the stresses at the crack sides decrease to zero. The decrease in stresses at the tip is accompanied by an increase in the concentration and gradients of the stresses at the end of the LPD band. Here the region of perturbation of the stress field is comparable with the width of the band.