Propagation and termination of an internal crack in continuously cast austenitic stainless steel analyzed by ∑ values and the Schmid factor

The formation mechanism of an internal crack was clarified from the viewpoint of the crystallography and thermal expansion. An inverse pole figure map obtained by EBSD pattern showed that the crack propagated along the grain boundaries having high ∑ values within the columnar zone. After the crack initiation, these positions were considered to undergo cracking followed by propagation toward the equiaxed side. Near the termination position, the grains ahead of crack propagation had a Schmid factor higher than 0.45 consuming elastic strain energy. Thermal expansion measurements showed that the grain with (0 0 1) orientation had the largest expansion while that with (0 1 1) the smallest. The grain boundaries neighboring the combination of (0 0 1) and (0 1 1) grains had the largest thermal stress. Therefore, thermal stress contributed to the initiation of cracking. It was thus proposed to enlarge the equiaxed zone to prevent cracking by discontinuing the crack propagation.     

Age-dependent size effect and fracture characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete

This paper presents an investigation of the age-dependent size effect and fracture characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). The study is based on a unique set of experimental data connecting aging tests for two curing protocols of one size and size effect tests of one age. Both aging and size effect studies are performed on notched three-point bending tests. Experimental data are augmented by state-of-the-art simulations employing a recently developed discrete early-age computational framework. The framework is constructed by coupling a hygro-thermo-chemical (HTC) model and the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM) through a set of aging functions. The HTC component allows taking into account variable curing conditions and predicts the maturity of concrete. The mechanical component, LDPM, simulates the failure behavior of concrete at the length scale of major heterogeneities. After careful calibration and validation, the mesoscale HTC-LDPM model is uniquely posed to perform predictive simulations. The ultimate flexural strengths from experiments and simulations are analyzed by the cohesive size effect curves (CSEC) method, and the classical size effect law (SEL). The fracture energies obtained by LDPM, CSEC, SEL, and cohesive crack analyses are compared, and an aging formulation for fracture properties is proposed. Based on experiments, simulations, and size-effect analyses, the age-dependence of size effect and the robustness of analytical-size effect methods are evaluated.     

Shear crack growth in brittle materials modeled by constrained Cosserat elasticity

The propagation of in-plane shear cracks is investigated in brittle microstructured materials modeled by the constrained Cosserat elasticity. This theory introduces characteristic material lengths in order to describe the scale effects that emerge from the underlying microstructure and has proved to be very effective for modeling complex microstructured materials. An exact solution is obtained based on integral transforms and the Wiener-Hopf technique. Numerical results are presented illustrating the dependence of the stress intensity factor and the energy release rate upon the loading profile, the propagation velocity, and the characteristic material lengths of Cosserat elasticity. It is shown that depending on the Cosserat microstructural lengths the limiting crack propagation velocity can be significantly lower than the classical Rayleigh limit. Moreover, strengthening effects are observed when the characteristic material lengths become comparable to the geometrical lengths of the problem, a behavior that has been experimentally verified in fracture of ceramics.     

Study on life and path of fatigue cracks in multiple site damage plates

This paper presents experimental and numerical study of the fatigue crack growth of hollowed pre-notched plates with multiple site damages (MSD). The numerical analyses were performed using finite element method. Experiments were carried out to validate the numerical results. Fatigue tests of aluminum sheets with MSD cracks were conducted to evaluate the effects of some parameters such as the thickness, hole diameter and central distance of the holes. The results show that the distance of the holes has greatest and size of the hole has little effects on the fatigue lives. Nucleation of cracks strongly depends on the thickness, distance and hole size.     

Effect of microstructure on the fatigue crack growth behaviour of a near-α Ti alloy

Fatigue crack growth behaviour of Ti–6Al–2Zr–1.5Mo–1.5V (VT-20 a near-α Ti alloy) was studied in lamellar, bimodal and acicular microstructural conditions. Fatigue crack growth tests at both increasing and decreasing stress intensity factor range values were performed at ambient temperature and a loading ratio of 0.3 using compact tension samples. Lamellar and acicular microstructures showed lower fatigue crack growth rates as compared to the bimodal microstructure due to the tortuous nature of cracks in the former and the cleavage of primary α in the latter. The threshold stress intensity factor range was highest for acicular microstructure.     

A Straightforward Direct Traction Boundary Integral Method for Two-Dimensional Crack Problems Simulation of Linear Elastic Materials

This paper presents a direct traction boundary integral equation method (DTBIEM) for two-dimensional crack problems of materials. The traction boundary integral equation was collocated on both the external boundary and either side of the crack surfaces. The displacements and tractions were used as unknowns on the external boundary, while the relative crack opening displacement (RCOD) was chosen as unknowns on either side of crack surfaces to keep the single-domain merit. Only one side of the crack surfaces was concerned and needed to be discretized, thus the proposed method resulted in a smaller system of algebraic equations compared with the dual boundary element method (DBEM). A new set of crack-tip shape functions was constructed to represent the strain field singularity exactly, and the SIFs were evaluated by the extrapolation of the RCOD. Numerical examples for both straight and curved cracks are given to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the presented method.     

基于声发射和高斯混合模型的灰岩破裂特征识别研究

通过单轴压缩条件下灰岩破裂过程的声发射试验研究,利用高斯混合模型(GMM)对加载过程声发射信号波形特征进行深入分析,探索性识别灰岩破裂失稳过程的裂纹模式及其前兆特征。分析结果表明,灰岩在单轴加载过程中先后主要存在张拉和剪切两种破裂模式。其中,张拉破裂的声发射信号波形特征在AF-RA坐标空间呈现低A_F值、高R_A值分布;剪切破裂的声发射信号波形特征在AF-RA坐标空间呈现低R_A值、高A_F值,且随着应力的增加分布中心向A_F轴靠拢。GMM分析结果揭示了灰岩在整个应力加载过程中以张拉裂纹为主,在加载前中期几乎全为张拉裂纹,临近破坏阶段过渡到剪切破坏为主。剪切裂纹所占比例的最大值出现在(0.8～0.9)σ_c阶段,也是AF-RA坐标轴分布呈现最大A_F值时。研究结果可为预测早期灰岩破裂失稳提供参考,同时为深入研究识别岩石破裂失稳前兆信号特征提供了一种分析方法。     

Behavior of 316L stainless steel containing corrosion pits under cyclic loading

The environmental performance of 316L grade stainless steel, in the form of tensile specimens containing a single corrosion pit with various aspect ratios, under cyclic loading in aerated chloride solutions is investigated in this study. Results from environmental tests were compared and contrasted with those obtained using finite element analysis (FEA). Fractography of the failed specimens obtained from experiments revealed that fatigue crack initiation took place at the base of the shallow pit. The crack initiation shifted towards the shoulder and the mouth of the pit for pits of increasing depth. This process is well predicted by FEA, as the strain contour maps show that strain is the highest around the centric strip of the pit. However, for shallow pits, local strain is uniformly distributed around that strip but begins to concentrate more towards the shoulder and the mouth region for increasingly deep pits.     

爆炸载荷下空孔缺陷与爆生裂纹扩展行为研究

空孔在岩石巷道直眼掏槽爆破中具有重要作用,为研究空孔及其缺陷在爆炸荷载作用下的扩展行为和作用机理,以PMMA代替岩石材料,利用预制裂纹代替空孔缺陷,借助动态焦散线系统和理论分析为手段,研究不同间距下空孔、空孔处预制裂纹、爆生裂纹动态扩展规律及机理,分析不同"径距比"与掏槽效果的关系。研究结果表明:在装药量一定的情况下,随着炮孔与空孔距离的变化,爆生裂纹扩展距离呈现递增而预制裂纹扩展距离呈现递减的趋势,但都存在极值;当炮孔与空孔距离较小时,爆生裂纹和预制裂纹扩展及相互作用最复杂,爆生裂纹扩展经历由压缩应力波为主,表现为直线的前期扩展;由空孔处发射应力波和压缩应力波共同作用下,爆生裂纹偏离炮孔与空孔连心线的中期扩展,以及由空孔应力集中区作用使爆生裂纹向空孔方向偏移的后期阶段;预制裂纹扩展经历由空孔处应力集中作用下,表现为直线的前期扩展,以及由爆生裂纹处反射拉伸波作用使其向爆生裂纹发展的后期阶段;当炮孔与空孔距离较大时,反射应力波及应力集中效应对爆生裂纹和预制裂纹扩展在减弱,爆生裂纹与预制裂纹扩展行为仅有前期直线扩展阶段。"径距比"的大小对爆破效果影响较大,直眼掏槽爆破应以最优"径距比"作为掏槽爆破参数设计的依据。