Author(s)

M. Bonnet

Abstract

A Galerkin-type symmetric boundary integral equation (GBIE) for the equilibrium of a symmetrically loaded crack embedded in a three-dimensional infinite elastic domain leads to expressions in terms of boundary integrals and fields only for the first and second derivatives of the elastic potential energy at equilibrium with respect to a crack front advance. Then the governing problem for the velocity of crack front advance is amenable to a boundary element numerical solution. Thanks to the symmetry of the initial GBIE, the second derivatives of the elastic potential energy at equilibrium are expressed in terms of the first derivatives of the elastic state only. A nu

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