  The consolidation of colloidal particles in drying colloidal dispersions is
influenced by various factors such as particle size and shape, and
inter-particle potential. The capillary pressure induced by the menisci, formed
between the top layer of particles in the packed bed, compresses the bed of
particles while the constraints enforced by the boundaries result in tensile
stresses in the packing. Presence of flaws or defects in the bed determines its
ultimate strength under such circumstances. In this study, we determine the
asymptotic stress distribution around a flaw in a two dimensional colloidal
packing saturated with liquid and compare the results with those obtained from
the full numerical solution of the problem. Using the Griffith's criterion for
equilibrium cracks, we relate the critical capillary pressure at equilibrium to
the crack size and the mechanical properties of the packed bed. The analysis
also gives the maximum allowable flaw size for obtaining a crack free packing.
