On elastic compliances and stress intensity factors of “zig-zag” cracks

•Cracks of “zig-zag” shapes consisting of two rectilinear links are considered.•Their compliances and stress intensity factors and far field asymptotics are examined.•A simple and reasonably accurate computational procedure is developed. Cracks of kinked, or “zig-zag” shapes (that are common in brittle materials, particularly in polycrystalline ones) consisting of two rectilinear links are considered. Their compliances, as well as stress intensity factors, are examined using a simple and reasonably accurate procedure that is based on approximating the original configuration by rectilinear cracks separated by a very small ligament. Full stress fields and their far-field asymptotics are also examined.