Finite Element Alternating Method for Solving Two-Dimensional Cracks Embedded in a Bimaterial Body

The finite element alternating method based on the superposition principle has been known as an effective method to obtain the stress intensity factors for general multiple collinear or curvilinear cracks in an isotropic plate. In this paper the method is extended further to solve two-dimensional cracks embedded in a bimaterial plate. The main advantage of this method is that it is not necessary to make crack meshes considering the stress singularity at the crack tip. The solution of the developed code is obtained from an iteration procedure, which alternates independently between the finite element method solution for an uncracked body and the analytical solution for cracks in an infinite body. In order to check the validity of the method, several crack problems of a bimaterial body are solved and compared with the results obtained from the finite element analysis.