Edge cracks in stiffened plates

Abstract An analytical method for the determination of stress intensity factors in two-dimensional plane elastostatic problems is extended for the parametric study of edge cracks in stiffened panels. Two problems are studied: the case of a cracked panel reinforced with stringers and the case of two panels, connected by rivets, one of which contains a crack. The loading in each problem is uniform tensile stress applied normal to the crack plane. A parametric investigation of these problems is to discover the influence of geometric factors on the strength of the panels. The results show that the influence depends on the crack tip location relative to the reinforcement. The results for some examples are also compared with finite element calculations.