The behavior of two parallel symmetry permeable interface cracks in a piezoelectric layer bonded to two half piezoelectric materials planes

In this paper, the behavior of two parallel symmetry permeable interface cracks in a piezoelectric layer bonded to two half piezoelectric materials planes subjected to an anti-plane shear loading is investigated by using Schmidt method. By using the Fourier transform, the problem can be solved with the help of two pairs of dual integral equations. These equations are solved using the Schmidt method. This process is quite different from that adopted previously. The normalized stress and electrical displacement intensity factors are determined for different geometric and property parameters for permeable crack surface conditions. Numerical examples are provided to show the effect of the geometry of the interacting cracks, the thickness and the materials constants of the piezoelectric layer upon the stress and the electric displacement intensity factor of the cracks. Contrary to the impermeable crack surface condition solution, it is found that the electric displacement intensity factors for the permeable crack surface conditions are much smaller than the results for the impermeable crack surface conditions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.