Theoretical simulations of a propagating crack subjected to in-plane stress wave loading by caustic method

The optical method of caustics for measuring the dynamic stress intensity factor in a transient process is investigated in this study. The transient full-field solutions of a propagating crack contained in an infinite medium subjected to step-stress wave and ramp-stress wave loadings are used to establish the exact equations of the initial and caustic curves. The results of the stress intensity factor obtained from the caustic method are compared with theoretical predictions and some experiments. The results demonstrate that a significant deviation can occur in the determination of the dynamic stress intensity factor from shadow spot measurements. The factors, such as screen distance, magnitude of loading, crack speed and rising time which can influence the accuracy of the experimental measurements are discussed in detail. In addition, the valid region of the dynamic stress singular field for the propagating crack is discussed in detail and it gives a better understanding of the appropriate region of measurements for investigators.