Abstract
Weight functions in fracture mechanics represent the stress intensity factors as weighted averages of the externally impressed boundary tractions and body forces. We extended the weight function theory for cracked linear elastic materials to calculate the notch stress intensity factor of a notched structure with anti-plane deformation. The well-known method of deriving weight functions by differentiation cannot be used for notched structures. By combining an appropriate singular field with a regular field, we derived weight functions for the notch stress intensity factor. Closed expressions of weight functions for notched cylindrical bodies are given as examples.