Boundary element analysis of three-dimensional interface cracks in transversely isotropic bimaterials using the Energy Domain Integral

It is presented in this paper a three-dimensional Boundary Element Method (BEM) implementation of the Energy Domain Integral for the fracture mechanical analysis of three-dimensional interface cracks in transversely isotropic bimaterials. The J-integral is evaluated using a domain representation naturally compatible with the BEM, in which the stresses, strains and derivatives of displacements at internal points are evaluated using their appropriate boundary integral equations. Several examples are solved and the results compared with those available in the literature to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the implementation to solve straight and curved crack-front problems.