Numerical investigations of corner singularities in cracked bodies

The influence of corner singularity on the distribution of the stresses around the crack front for a three-dimensional structure is described in this paper. The distribution of stress singularity through the thickness of the middle tension specimen provides us an indication of crack behaviour close to a free surface. An estimation of the region where the change of singularity exponent plays an important role in fatigue crack propagation rate was carried out. A decrease in fatigue crack propagation rate close to the free surface was found. The lower fatigue crack propagation rate in the boundary layer in comparison with the interior of the specimen leads to a change of intersecting angle between crack and free surface and depends on Poisson's ratio.