A Path Independent Integral and the Approximate Analysis of Strain Concentration by Notches and Cracks

A line integral is exhibited which has the same value for all paths surrounding the tip of a notch in the two-dimensional strain field of an elastic or deformation-type elastic-plastic material. Appropriate integration path choices serve both to relate the integral to the near tip deformations and, in many cases, to permit its direct evaluation. This averaged measure of the near tip field leads to approximate solutions for several...