Plastic relaxation of a shear crack near a planar interface

The plastic relaxation of a shear crack near a planar interface of a two-phase system composed of two welded elastic half-planes is considered. Using the models suggested by Bilby, Cottrell, and Swinden, and by Atkinson and Kay, expressions relating the applied stress, the yield stress, and the width of the plastic zone are obtained. The relative displacement of the crack faces is also obtained and the behavior of the plastic zone is discussed. © 1973 American Institute of Physics.