Interface design of neutral elastic inclusions

The paper studies the design of the neutral elastic inclusions that do not disturb the prescribed uniform stress field in the surrounding elastic body. Such neutral inclusion does not exist if a perfectly bonded interface between inclusion and elastic body is assumed. The design method presented here is based on the model of imperfect interface characterized by the interface parameters. The basic equations for interface design of a single neutral elastic inclusion in plane and antiplane deformations are given and the corresponding interface parameters are discussed for several typical inclusion shapes. In particular, the design of a neutral inclusion under uniaxial or equalbiaxial tension is studied with a restriction imposed on the interface parameters that facilitates implementation of the designed interface. The results obtained in the paper affirm the feasibility of designing a neutral elastic inclusion in many typical cases by means of the imperfect interface. © t997 Elsevier Science Ltd