Stress singularities for three-dimensional corners using the boundary integral equation method

The boundary integral equation method is developed to study three-dimensional asymptotic singular stress fields at vertices of a pyramidal notch or inclusion in an isotropic elastic space. Two-dimensional boundary integral equations are used for the infinite body with pyramidal notches and inclusions when either stresses or displacements are specified on its surface. Applying the Mellin integral transformation reduces the problem to one-dimensional singular integral equations over a closed, piece-wise smooth line. Using quadrature formulas for regular and singular integrals with Hilbert and logarithmic kernels, these integral equations are reduced to a homogeneous system of linear algebraic equations. Setting its determinant to zero provides a characteristic equation for the determination of the stress singularity power. Numerical results are obtained and compared against known eigenvalues from the literature for an infinite region with a conical notch or inclusion, for a Fichera vertex, and for a half-space with a wedge-shaped notch or inclusion.