Engineering Fracture Mechanics Vol. 22, No. 4, pp.

687-695, 1985
Printed in the U.S.A.

0013-7944/85 $3.00 + .OL?

0 1985 Pergamon Press Ltd.

BENDING VIBRATION OF A RECTANGULAR

WITH ARBITRARILY
LOCATED RECTILINEAR

PLATE
CRACK

ROMAN SOLECKI
University of Connecticut, Storm, CT 06268, U.S.A.
Abstract-Harmonic
flexural vibration of a rectangular plate with an arbitrarily located rectilinear crack is investigated. Double finite Fourier transformation of discontinuous functions is
applied to a plate with arbitrary boundary conditions and subjected to transverse harmonic
loading. Natural vibration of a simply supported plate is analyzed as a special case. The unknown
amplitudes of discontinuities of the displacement and slope across the crack are determined by
satisfying boundary conditions at the cracks edge. The square-root singularities of the bending
moment at the cracks tips are built into the solution. The method of reduction is applied to
the infinite characteristic determinant of the problem. Numerical values of three lowest frequencies of vibration of a square plate are obtained for a diagonally located crack of changing
length.

1. INTRODUCTION
IN A PREVIOUSpaper[l] natural vibration of a simply supported rectangular plate with a crack
parallel to one of the edges was analyzed. It has been shown there how combined application
of finite Fourier transformation and of generalized Green-Gauss theorem can simplify considerably the solution of this otherwise rather complicated problem.
The same approach is utilized also here, but the arbitrary location of the crack makes the
present problem even more complicated. Note that no known solution exists for a rectangular
plate with an inclined crack.
After applying double finite Fourier transformation to the differential equation governing
the problem, and after using the inversion theorem one obtains, as usual, a system of integral
equations with respect to the unknown discontinuities of the deflection and slope across the
crack. It is known[l, 21 that using higher-order derivatives as the unknowns, one improves the
convergence of the resulting infinite series. Therefore using the condition that the bending
moment at the crack equals zero, one can replace the integral involving unknown discontinuity
of the deflection by the discontinuity of the curvature in the direction normal to the crack. The
unknown quantities are in turn expanded into Fourier series. Since the curvature is squareroot singular at the tips, therefore it is represented as a sum of a regular part (expanded into
Fourier series) and singular part, with known strengths of the singularities multiplied by unknown coefficients determined from the conditions of the problem. Finally, the unknown infinite
sequences of Fourier coefficients are obtained by applying the conditions that the bending
moment and shear force across the crack are zero. Application of these conditions requires
differentiation of Fourier series of discontinuous functions. Since this cannot be done term-byterm, the appropriate formulae are derived.

2. SERIES SOLUTION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION

The differential equation which governs the amplitude of flexural vibration W(X,y) of the
plate shown in Fig. 1 is
D

v*v*w-

po*w = 4(x,

y)

(1)

with the boundary conditions of simple support around the contour and the conditions of vanishing bending moment M, and vanishing shear force QU at the cracks edge where u is the
direction normal to the crack.
687

R. SOLECKI

688

Fig. 1. Geometry of the plate.

The solution of eqn (1) is assumed in the form

w,

Y) =

$ ,: i: w,,
m-l

(2)

sin (Y~Xsin Pny.

n=l

In order of finding w,, one applies finite Fourier sine transformation to eqn (1). As in [l] this
is performed in conjunction with the generalized Green-Gauss
theorem (a time-saving approach)
F,i dS =

Fni dI +

(i = 1, 2, 3)

(3)

where I is the outer contour of the plate, F is its inner contour, ni and Ei are the components
of unit vectors normal to I and r, respectively, and where F is any tensor.
Application of this procedure (see [3] and [4] for details) and subsequent solution of the
resulting system of algebraic equations with respect to w,,, yields the following expression:

s]
%]

Aw dc

A E dc + (c& + l3:) JI. w +

dI

(4)
where A w and Aawl& are discontinuities across the crack of the displacement and normal
slope, respectively. Also, v is the Poissons ratio, qmn the transform of q(x, y), H2 is the bending
moment;
+( mn) = sin (~,(s, + c cos +) sin Pn(y, + c sin IJ)

(5)

Amn = [(m+)2 + n212 - fk2

(6)

and

where
4 = bla,

n2J??5.

(7)

Bending vibration of a rectangular plate with rectilinear crack

689

Since l is the contour of the plate therefore the last two integrals in eqn (4) vanish for a simply
supported plate. In order to improve convergence the approach of Fletcher and Thorne[2] is
applied; that is, the unknown A w is replaced by the unknown discontinuity of the curvature
in the direction normal to the crack: A a2wlau2. This is achieved by utilizing the condition that
at the crack

a2w

Aau2+v,=0.

a2w
ac

Integrating the first integral in eqn (4) by parts and using eqn (8) and the conditions
= 0 and Aawlac = 0 at c = 0 and c = d, one obtains the following relations:

1 I
de dc

The unknown

slope discontinuity
A$

is now expanded

= $

;:

A2

that A w

dc.

(9)

into Fourier cosine series

hrU,,cos$

ce(O, d).

(10)

k-0.2

The unknown discontinuity of the curvature has square-root singularities at the tips of the
crack. It is therefore represented as a sum of the unknown regular function which is expanded
into Fourier sine series and of a singular function with square-root singularities at the end of
the interval ce(0, d) and adjusted in such a way that, in concert with the physical conditions
of the problem, both Aw and Aadau vanish at the ends.
This leads to the following representation:

+ dd-

+ &

k$,,?

(+c

- dd2-

c) .

()

Presently eqns (IO) and (11) are used in eqn (9) which is in turn substituted into eqn (2) leading
to a formal solution of the problem which still includes unknown Fourier coefficients Uk and
wk.

3. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS AND THE CHARACTERISTIC

EQUATIONS
In order to determine two infinite sets of unknown
conditions available at the cracks edge are used:
a2w
2

a3w
au+v-Y)g$=

Fourier

coefficients,

two boundary

2
+

f$

at x = xl + c cos +,

Y = ye + c sin *,

(12)

0 at x = x1 + c cos 4,

y = yI + c sin +.

(13)

It is seen that the series (2) must be differentiated and that this cannot be done term-by-term
because eqn (2) represents a function with discontinuous second and third derivatives. As
indicated in [l] proceeding in the traditional way will result in proper formulae being derived
but at the cost of a considerable amount of cumbersome manipulations. The procedure devised

R. SOLECKI

690

in 111,based on Green-Gauss theorem, is generalized here to include the use of straight-line

discontinuity arbitrarily located within the plates area. Let
sin &y,
4)(irnnj = sin OL~X

&tmnj = cos 01,x sin &y,

+(3mn)

sin cbd

cos

&Y,

+(4mn)

cos

cu,x cos

&y*

(14)

Assume that we want to obtain the expression for dwldu where, as before, u is the direction
normal to the crack. Let F = w+(z~,,)
be substituted into eqn (3) for i = 1. The following relation
results:

where the integral along I vanished because of the assumed boundary conditions.
Expanding the integral on the left hand side of eqn (15), and taking into account that

and that

one obtains finally

8W

J-l-ax cos arnx sin &y dx dy = CX,W,, + I i*

~fbc2mnj~x

(16)

dT;.

One can easily find now the formula for &vi&:

r W(COS
OL,Xsin &y)~u, dI

cos CX~X
sin &Y-

(17)

In a similar way, starting with the expression F = wc&3mnj

one obtains from

(18)
the following formula:
sin ol,x}ru, dj?sin CY,X+ ;;?i, i
m-l

&w,,
n=l

w(sin CX,,~X
cos Pny)i%+dI
Now using known expression for directional derivative
a~

aw

aU= ax
yields the desired result.

cos 9 + E sin +

sin CX,Xcos

pny.

(19)

691

Bending vibration of a rectangular plate with rectilinear crack

The same procedure was used to obtain higher order derivatives appearing in the bound~y
conditions (12) and (13). Resulting system of equations still depends on the local coordinate c
(along the crack). This dependence is removed by multiplying the equations obtained from (12)
rand (13) by cos(~~c/d~ or sin(~~c/d}, respectively (where 1 = 0, 1, . . .), and integrating the
results with respect to ~$0, d).
This yields an infinite system of linear algebraic equations of the following form:
c

WkClkl

k=l

tVX_CZk1

lj
2

WkC4kl

k=

0,

1 =

0,

1,

. =,

1 .

(211

1:

k=l

UkC3kl

k=O

k=1,3

wkC5kl

UkC6kl

0,

1,

> O,

I=0

1.3

where & = - 2 c

uk, and where

k=l

Clkl

1
30
1)
CT [
+$ $+$
iW1ntn

5
;

m
c

(ba5is

mT4mOt

?TZ=l

R 4Onl

+ @5C

TZ2mOk

T3mn1

n=*

3/2nE

dh

E3mo

32/2n E

~zlO,k

fl=l

m=*

10n

2k
i-

x2,,

T4mnl)

mn

~~Inrnk

~&mnk

Imn +
>

+ 3v/2% E
W3mn73mn1

X4mnT4md
(

CE
C2kf

y;

W2mJ2m

X4mn-E4mn)T4mn1

C3kl

hk
5n

al

T4nrd4nzoi

a~ 1

T40nkT40nl

n=t

m=l

(23

,
1

r
$

+iix
tn=i

n=l

(X7mn

I(X5mnT3mn1

&,m

T4md

T3mnk

mn

T3mn1

XsnrnT4mni)

lTbmnk

@alih,

(24)

where SotiS Kroneckers delta, and hk = 1 - @Ok,.The COeffiCient

c&l,
c5kl , c6kl are obtained
from CM.1 , t&t and c3ki, respectively, by making the substitutions shown in Table 1. The expressions for the terms appearing above are given in the Appendix. The characteristic equation is
obtained by equating to zero the infinite characteristic determinant of the system of linear
algebraic eqns (21). In practice the method of reduction is applied and the frequencies are
determined from a finite characteristic equation.

Table 1. Evaluation of terms appearing in S&l, cSkland ctil

Qu=W

Xsmn

Substitution

GM

Quantity

T3mn/

Substmtm

Tlmnt

X 7mn
X Earn
-&WI
X,m
X4,,
Xsm
XlSWI x 14mn XMM
XIZ,,,~ XIOmnXW,,~ XD,,,~
T&Id as
Tarnot
Tati
a~,Lmok
mCo,t,
asc
Tzrnnl
--~&3~
-at3s
$mTIDtor nTionl u14sT4mOk
aleeT40nn

X2mn

692

R. SOLECKI

4. NUMERICAL

EXAMPLE:

A DIAGONALLY
PLATE

CRACKED

The system of eqns (21) is first put in a more convenient

A&kp = 0,

i:

p = 0, 1,

, .

SQUARE

form (see [5])

(25)

. =,

k=l

where

As-1 =

wkr

A2k

126)

k = 1, 2, . . . cc,

Ukt

and
ckp

Ci(Zk-I)@I2)

f&

Cl(2k-lfflpf2)r

ck,

c3(2k)@/2),

k = 3, 7, II, . . . ;
k = 2,3,.

ckp = c 4(2k-

l)(Zp-

I)/2

C5(2k-

ck,

C4(2k-

1)(2~-

t)/2,

ck,

%(2k)(2p

Characteristic

k = 1, 5, 9, . . . ;

C2(2k--I)(p/Z)r

1)/Z I

. . ;
1)(2p-

p = 0,2,

p = 0,2,

. . ;

. *. )

* . 1)

. . 1)

k = 1, 5, 9, . . . ;

1)]/2,

p = 1,3,

. . . )

p = I, 3, * . * ,

3, 7, 11, . . . ;

k = 2,4,.

p = 0,2,

p = 1,3.

equation for the system (25) becomes

det 1 c,,

1 = 0,

k = 1, 2, . . . o;

p = 0, 1, . * . co.

The geometry of the piate and crack allows for modes which are either symmetric or antisymmetric with respect to the diagonal.
For those modes and for the next higher mode the natural frequencies have been found
for a square plate for various relative lengths of the crack: 5 = d/a. The results are presented
in Fig. 2 and in Tabie 2. When the crack extends to the corners the lowest frequency of
symmetric vibration should approach the fundamental frequency of a ~ght-triangular equilateral
plate simply supported along the legs and free along the hypothenuse. The data for such a
triangular plate are however not available. The very approximate bounds of this frequency

3.0

>
1.0

I.4

d/a
Fig. 2. Frequency

factors for a diagonally cracked plate.

Bending vibration of a rectangular plate with rectilinear crack

693

Table 2. Effect of the relative crack length, d/u, on the frequency factors &, R2, Cl, of a
diagonally cracked square plate
d/a

0.0

0.3

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

n,

2.00
5.00
5.00

1.89
4.89
4.99

1.74
4.26
4.87

1.66
3.73
4.77

1.58
3.20
4.63

1.52
2.75
4.49

1.46
2.37
4.35

1.40
2.07
4.21

1.34
1.82
4.07

1.27
1.61
3.95

1.20
1.42
3.83

1.14
3.75

a2
R3

suggested by Westmann[6]

(see also Leissa[7], p. 212) are

D
--<UC

0.532 $

1.064+

a2

J p

The value obtained in the present paper approaches the upper bound shown above. The frequency of the antisymmetric vibration on the other hand does not approach the same limit.
The reason for this seems to be the presence of nonintegrable singularities of the shear force
at the tip of the crack (there is no singularity in the case of symmetric vibration). Also, on the
basis of the paper@] by Keer et al., one can deduce that also here the stress concentration
factor will tend to infinity when the tip of the crack is approaching the corner.
The effect of the orientation of a centrally located crack in a square plate on the lowest
frequencies of vibration was also investigated. It was found that even for a relatively long crack
(d/a = 0.8) the change in the lowest frequency when rotating the crack by an angle up to 45
does not exceed 10% while the effect of the same rotation on the second frequency is no more
than 2%.
Acknowledgemenrs-The
author gratefully acknowledges the support of the Department of the Navy, Offtce of the
Naval Research (Contract No. NOOO14-81-K-0651)and that of the project monitor, Dr. Nicholas Basdekas.

REFERENCES
[l] R. Solecki, Bending vibration of a simply supported rectangular plate with a crack parallel to one edge. Eng. Fract.
Mech. 18, 1111 - 1118 (1983) and references therein.
[2] H. J. Fletcher and C. J. Thome, Bending of thin rectangular plates. Proc. 2nd U.S. Nat. Cong. Appl. Mech. pp.
389-406. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (1954).
[3] R. Sole&i, Isotropic finite plates with cracks. Proc. 12th Annu. Meet. Sot. Eng. Sci. pp. 373-380. The University
of Texas, Austin (20-22 October 1975).
[4] R. Sole&i, Bending vibration of simply supported rectangular plates with internal rigid support. Int. J. Eng. Sci.
18, 1309-1318 (1980).
[5] L. W. Kantorowitsch and W. I. Krylow, Naherungs-methoden
der Hoherenanalysis.
V.E.B. (1956).
[6] R. A. Westermann, A note on free vibrations of triangular and sector plates. J. Aerosp. Sci. 28, 1139, 1140 (1962).
[7] A. W. Leissa, Vibration of plates, NASA SP-160, Washington, D.C. (1969).
[8] L. M. Keer, J. C. Lee and T. Mura, Stress distributions for a quarter plane containing an arbitrarily oriented crack.
J. Appl. Mech.

50, 43-49 (1983).

APPENDIX
The following is the list of symbols appearing in eqns (2l)-(24):
2n(a5gz4 - asCn2 + a7,@m2n2

X 2mn

X3,,

= n&n4

X 5mn = a&4m4
x6,

~mnhOc~2m2

- a3,$2m2n2

- a2,+4m4

+ a&4m4),
+

a4,fk2,

+ a9+*m2n2 + ug,n4 - al&k2,

+

alosn2),

X7mn

+mnhd2m2

alocn2),

X smn = 2a11(+4m4 + 2v+*m2n2 + n4 - a*.

X ,mnr

X4mn,

XTrnnare obtained from X3mn, X2,,,, X,,,,,

respectively,

by replacing n by +m, and ai, by a,, and vice

versa.
X 9mn = a15,+6m6 + a16,+4m4n2 + a,7,42m2n4
X 10mn = 4mn(a20,+4m4

+ a2b+*m2n2

- a19.n2(n4 - 0)

+ a2zsn4 + a23$f12),

+ a18,4*m2RZ,

694

R. SOLECKI
X 13mn=

@n(a24s~4m4

X 16mn=

$m[a28J

+
+

a25,~*m2n2

~29~+~tn*n*

f126.d~

c727.$l),

2a14C(+4m4

Ck)l.

X14mnare obtained from X9,,, Xlonln, XIM and Xlhrnn, respectively,

XIZmnr
Xnmn,
ai, by ai, and vice versa.
The symbols ai, and ab are listed below where, for abbreviation, s = sin $ and c =

by replacing

x ,,mn,

ah

a3,

-(I

-2(l

- v)(2 - V)(l - 2c2)sc2,

aTs =

(1 - V)[l - 2v - (1 - 3V)c*lsc*,

a9,

2(1 - V)[l - (3 - VP + (3 - v)c41,

nios

a12 =

- V)[l - (1 - u)s21sc,

(I - V)Sc.4,
-s4c(?

alGr

2[ -7

a17.s =

a19,

- 3c2),

a,,

-s4[s4

alss

al0

(1

vs*c*

1 - 2(1 - v)c2 + 2(1 + v)c4,

u)sc*,

(1 + v)c4],

(1 + v)s2c4(1 - 4c*),

+ 2c2 - 2VC4 + 4(1 + v)c6 s*.

[-l-v

2[1 - (2 + V)C + 2(1 + v)c4ls4,

a20s =

[2( 1 + v)c2 - 3(5 + 3v)c4 + 8(1 + v)c6]sc,

a215 =

2[ - 1 - v - (I - 9v)c - (7 + 17v)c4 + 8(1 + v)?]sc,

a2zs

[-5

+ v + 12~ - 3(5 + 3v)c4 + 8(1 + v)?]sc,

1 - 2v
- 4(1 + v)(. + 12(1 + v)c4 - 8(1 + v)c6 SC,
I-v
I

a23.y

a24s

(-7

+ v + 8c2)sc4,

a26s

[-I

+ v + 2(l - 2v)c* + 3(-3

a2Ts

a29,$

aNC

a25s = 2[ - 2 + v - 2(2 + v)c2 + 8c4]sc2.

+ 6c4 - 8c6 s,

[-l-v

+ v)c4 + 8]s,

a28,

2(6 - Y - 4c2)s2c3,

2[ --v + (7 + 3v)c2 - 8c4]s2c.

are obtained from corresponding

TLmnk

quantities

2 od (cos a,x sin Pny)~ sin $

I
I

od ( SIn a,x

cos

sin d

Pny)r

kac

T3mnk= 2 od (SIn a,x sin Pny)~ cos d

I
T4mnk = 2 od (cos (Y,X cos

P,,y)i:

cos

dc
dc
dc

d
~lmnk

t3mnk

d
sin

!!?k

3mn

knc

V3mnC
cos

All these integrals have been represented

=

sin

d
d

&mnk

(t3mnk

knc

sin -

dc

t2mnk

~.hPlC

sin -

I 0

bm,k

~0s

cos

ulmn)

?.%&

krc

sin -

dc

sin

k71c

&_-,

Also,
1

tlmnk

dc,

by closed form expressions.

sin Vlmn +

Where the upper sign applies to ZI,,&

Vlmn = QJI

by replacing s by -c and c by - s.

aNs

dc

k,rrc

TZmnk -2
-

Zlmnkr

[ - 1 - v - 2(1 - 5V)C2- (7 + 19v)c4 + 4(1 + v)c61s2,

The quantities
Also,

a,,,,

(1 - v2)c4,

aa,, =

+ 2v - 2(1 + V)c*l?c4,

1
a18s =

[ - I + 2(1 - v)C4]S.

a4.T =

asA =

a145 =

cos I).

a& = ( - 2 + v)( 1 - v)s3c2,

(I - v)sc4,

-2(l

by

a*., = - (1 - V)[(l - 3v)c4 - 2(1 - 2v)c + 1 - v]s,

v2)sc4,

(t4mnk

7J4mn

sin Vlmn +

t2mnk

and where
+

PnY1 >

V2mn= %Jl

v3fnll = (a, cos + + P,, sin JI) d,

PllYl

v~,,,_ = (a, cos JI - P,, sin +) d.

cos

VZmn).

+m,

and

Bending vibration of a rectangular plate with rectilinear crack

695

Finally

+ [cos Wn + cos(%?m
+ [cos u2mn + cos(mnn
E ZmnI E4mn =

(llvK)[sin

ulrnn - 2 sin(Vlmn + v3,,)lC(~/v3,,)

* (llv:if,,)[sin

uzrnn - 2 sin(aZm,, +

ZJ4mn)lCw\/V4mn)+ [cos en,

where the upper signs refer to El,,,, and Ez~,,, and where

are Fresnels integrals.

+ V4mnWN/V4mn)~,

+ [cos ulrnn + 2 cos(Ulmn + ~3,,)lS(~mA

+ 2 cos(~zm.

+ V4mn)lS(~/v4mn)I,