Thermal-stress analysis for a strip of finite width containing a stack of edge cracks

The thermal-stress problem of an infinite strip containing an infinite row of periodically distributed edge cracks normal to its edge is investigated. The surrounding temperature adjacent to the crack-containing edge is assumed to be cooled suddenly to simulate the thermo-shock condition. By the superposition principle, the formulation leads to a mixed-boundary-value problem, with the negating tractions derived from the thermal stresses of a crack-free infinite strip. An integral equation is obtained and solved numerically. The effect on the SIFs (stress-intensity factors) due to the presence of periodically distributed cracks in an infinite strip is delineated. The normalized SIFs increase as the stacking cracks separate, due to the reduction of the shielding effect. After a characteristic time period, the negating tractions along the crack faces become almost linear. The SIF solutions under the considered crack geometry are worked out in detail for the case of linear traction loading. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.