A note on the line spring solution for a part-through crack

The line spring solutions used to solve part-through crack problems in plates are investigated by comparing with the results obtained from an accurate three-dimensional analysis using the body force method. Comparisons are made for the mode I stress intensity of a semi-elliptical crack with various aspect ratios a/b, i.e. the ratio of the width to the depth of the crack. The results indicate that the two methods agree well for cracks that are wider than they are deep (an aspect ratio greater than one).