Abstract: The three-dimensional weight function method is used to determine stress intensity factors for small surface cracks in plates subjected to remote tension and bend-ing. The geometry parameters considered are c/b = 0.2; a/c = 0.2; 0.4, 0.6, 1.2; a/t = 0.01,0.05,0.1 and 0.2,which cover the range of small surface crack problems commonly encountered in fatigue and fracture studies and applications. The results are compared, where possible, with other solutions available in the literature. Very good agreement is observed. The limiting behaviours of stress intensity factors as the crack aspect ratio, a/c, tends to zero are also investigated. The solutions presented in this paper should be useful in damage tolerance and durability analysis of aircraft structures and in the study of small fatigue cracks.

Key words: three-dimensional weight function, small crack, surface crack, stress intensity factor