Numerical Green's function applied to fracture mechanics: 3-D implementation

The use of Green's functions has been considered a powerful technique in the treatment of Fracture Mechanics problems by the Boundary Element Method, although were restricted to basic 2-D applications to which the analytical derivation of the appropriate Green's function could be achieved. Telles, Castor & Guimaraes introduced a new technique to the numerical derivation of Green's functions and presented numerical results for 2-D applications with multiple collinear cracks. However, this technique is not restricted to 2-D and the authors now discuss aspects of the 3-D implementation of the numerical Green's function and present the first numerical results obtained.