Stress analysis of an unbounded elastic solid with orthotropic inclusions and voids using a new integral equation technique

A recently developed numerical method based on a volume integral formulation is applied to calculate the elastostatic field in an unbounded isotropic elastic medium containing orthotropic inclusions subject to remote loading. A modified form of the method in which the integral equations involve volumes of the inclusions and boundaries of voids or cracks is used to deal with the presence of both types of inhomogeneity. A detailed analysis of displacement and stress fields is carried out for orthotropic cylindrical and elliptic cylindrical inclusions as well as voids. The accuracy and effectiveness of the new methods are examined through comparison with results obtained from analytical and boundary integral equation methods. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.