Fully Plastic Crack Problems, Part 1: Solutions by a Penalty Method

We formulate a finite-element reduced integration penalty method applicable to plane-strain problems with incompressible material behavior. This numerical method is employed to generate crack solutions for pure power-hardening solids. For two configurations of interest in applications, an edge cracked panel subject to remote tension and an edge-cracked panel subject to remote bending, we obtain solutions for a wide range of crack lengths and strain-hardening behaviors.