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Multiple cracks are often observed in engineering structures; and their interaction and coalescence may significantly affect the lifetime of a component or structure. In this paper, the general features associated with crack interaction and coalescence are presented, and the conditions for coalescence in various forms are reviewed. A model has been developed based on the principles of mixed mode fracture mechanics, to provide a rational explanation for the phenomenon of crack interaction and to predict the coalescence conditions. The latter is found to agree reasonably with the experimental observations.
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Wang et al. (1996) studied this question.
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