Anti-plane interaction of a crack and reinforced elliptic hole in an infinite matrix

Anti-plane interaction of a crack with a coated elliptical hole embedded in an infinite matrix under a remote uniform shear load is considered in this paper. Analytical treatment of the present problem is laborious due to the presence of material inhomogeneities and geometric discontinuities. Nevertheless, based on the technique of conformal mapping and the method of analytical continuation in conjunction with the alternating technique, general expressions for displacements and stresses in the coated layer and the matrix are derived explicitly in closed form. By applying the existing complex function solutions for a dislocation, the integral equations for a line crack are formulated and mode-III stress intensity factors are obtained numerically. Some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effects of material inhomogeneity and geometric discontinuities on mode-III stress intensity factors. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd