Dynamic interfacial fracture of a thin-layered structure

To calculate the dynamic energy release rate of a crack is important for understanding a structure’s fracture behavior under transient or varying loads, such as impact and cyclic loads, when the inertial effect can be significant. In this work, a method is proposed to derive an analytic expression for the dynamic energy release rate of a stationary crack under general applied displacement. An asymmetric double cantilever beam with one very thin layer is considered as a special case, with vibration superimposed onto a constant displacement rate applied to the free end. The resulting expression for dynamic energy release rate is verified using the finite-element method (FEM) in conjunction with the virtual crack closure technique. The mode-mixity of the dynamic energy release rate is also calculated. The predicted total dynamic energy release rate and its components, GI and GII, are both in close agreement with results from FEM simulations.