1656_C02.

fm Page 36 Thursday, April 14, 2005 6:28 PM

36 Fracture Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications

Therefore

∏ = −U

and

1  dU  P  d∆ 
G= = (2.27)
 
B da P 2 B  da  P

When displacement is fixed (Figure 2.8), the plate is displacement controlled; F = 0 and Π = U. Thus

1  dU  ∆  dP 
G=− =− (2.28)

B da ∆  2 B  da  ∆

It is convenient at this point to introduce the compliance, which is the inverse of the plate stiffness:

∆
C= (2.29)
P

By substituting Equation (2.29) into Equation (2.27) and Equation (2.28) it can be shown that

P2 dC
G= (2.30)
2 B da

for both load control and displacement control. Therefore, the energy release rate, as defined in
Equation (2.23), is the same for load control and displacement control. Also

 dU  = −  dU  (2.31)
 da  P  da  ∆

FIGURE 2.8 Cracked plate at a fixed displacement ∆.