DefinePK

Abstract

Cortical bone fracture that caused by stress amplification effect is hypothesized to initiate and amplify by the existence of co-planar macro and micro cracks interaction. The amplified crack interactions within the human cortical bone are quite complicated to investigate because of the bone microstructure. At the microstructure level of bone, it is clear that every particle of the bone is essential in protecting the bone from fracturing. This paper aims to investigate the stress amplification effect of the stress intensity factor (SIF), based on stress singularity located at the crack tips. Finite element models of two coplanar edge cracks for different crack distance and crack interval are developed based continuum mechanics theory and linear elastif fracture mechanics (LEFM) assumption. The SIF value accuracy is based on the developed singularity element around the crack tip. The result showed that the SIF of both coplanar cracks are exibit the different trend for Mode I and II. Moreover, the existence of crack interaction limit (CIL) and crack unification limit (CUL) have proved the theory of interacting cracks.