Abstract
The interaction between a penny-shaped crack and a spherical elastic inclusion embedded in an infinite elastic matrix subjected to a time-harmonic crack-face loading is investigated. Boundary integral equations (BIEs) are applied for the numerical solution of the problem in the frequency domain. The singularity subtraction and the mapping techniques in conjunction with a collocation scheme are implemented for the regularization and the discretization of the BIEs by taking into account the local structure of the solution at the crack front. As a numerical example, a crack under tensile loading of constant amplitude, where the center of the interacting particle lies in the crack plane, is considered. The reinforcing properties of the inclusion are revealed by the mode-I dynamic stress intensity factor (SIF) as a function of angular coordinate of the crack front for different frequencies and material combinations of the matrix and the inclusion.