Parametric study of oblique edge cracks under cyclic contact loading

The problem of a two-dimensional elastic body, carrying an inclined edge crack and loaded by a cylinder rolling on the surface, is solved by the weight function method. The load induced by the cylinder on the cracked body was represented by the Hertzian pressure distribution, and the nominal stress distribution in the uncracked body was numerically evaluated by the superposition principle. The crack opening displacement components were obtained by an analytical Green's unction. The partial crack closure was considered and the influence of the mutual forces between the crack faces included in the analysis, by which the effective stress intensity actors K-I and K-II could be evaluated. By considering different friction conditions between the crack surfaces and several crack inclinations, the evolutions of the effective K-I and K-II during typical loading cycles were analysed.