Plastic Exfoliation of a Rigid Rectangular Inclusion Under the Action of Concentrated Forces

We solve the antiplane problem of plastic exfoliation of a rigid rectangular inclusion in a perfect elastoplastic medium under the action of forces directed along the axis of the inclusion. It is assumed that the plastic strains are concentrated on the boundary of the inclusion in layers of thickness zero propagating from the tip of the inclusion. We determine the dependences of the lengths of plastic strips on the acting loads. The conditions of coalescence of plastic layers propagating along the smaller faces of the inclusion and the conditions of complete exfoliation of the inclusion are established. We propose a criterion of applicability of the theory of thin inclusions and the linear model of plastic zone. It is shown that the application of this criterion to inclusions whose width does not exceed 5% of their length gives an error of the theory of thin inclusions that does not exceed 5%.