Analytical prediction of crack coalesce in Multiple Site Damaged structures

An analytical methodology for predicting the condition when interacting cracks coalesce and estimate the residual strength under Multiple Site Damage situations is proposed. Dominating magnitudes of the criterion are the changes in elastic and plastic strain energy due to crack ligament fracture. The strain energy magnitudes of interest are calculated using analytical formulations, such that the methodology is efficiently applicable in the design of real aircraft panels. Link-up stress predictions using the present methodology are in very good correlation to the experiments and in most cases better, as compared to the alternative crack link-up prediction models.