Symmetric cracking of a wedge by transverse displacements

Two path-independent integrals are used to determine the mode I stress intensity factors of two cases of a symmetrically cracked infinite wedge, subjected to transverse displacements of constant magnitude along the outer faces, in plane elastostatics. Results for two mode II cases are also given. The results are in closed forms. The successful use of the integrals depend firstly on the expansional invariance of the elastic fields, secondly on suitable forms of the boundary conditions, and thirdly on an inversely proportional far-field decay of the stresses.