A correspondence principle for fractal and classical cracks

In this paper we introduce a correspondence principle between fractal cracks and notches. This correspondence principle defines an equivalent smooth blunt crack for a fractal crack. Once this transformation is accomplished, the laws of linear elastic fracture mechanics apply. Since the root radius of the equivalent crack is finite, the crack may be further reduced to a notch visualized as an elongated elliptical void. Therefore, the laws of the LEFM and those of Neuber’s ‘notch mechanics’ coincide, and they can be used interchangeably. In other words, we have shown that the three mathematical representations of discontinuities in the displacement field, a notch, a classic Griffith crack and a fractal crack, are related, and the pertinent relationships are determined by the proposed correspondence principle. We also give an estimation of the size of the plastic region ahead of a self-similar (or self-affine) fractal crack tip.     

Discrete fractal fracture mechanics

A modification of the classical theory of brittle fracture of solids is offered by relating discrete nature of crack propagation to the fractal geometry of the crack. The new model incorporates all previously considered theories of fracture processes, in particular the Griffith [Griffith AA. The phenomenon of rupture and flow in solids. Philos Trans Roy Soc Lond 1921;A221:163-398] theory, its contemporary extension known as LEFM and the most recently developed Quantized Fracture Mechanics (QFM) by Pugno and Ruoff [Pugno N, Ruoff RS. Quantized fracture mechanics. Philos Mag 2004;84(27):2829-45]. Using an equivalent smooth blunt crack for a given fractal crack, we find that assuming that radius of curvature of the blunt crack is a material property, the crack roughens while propagating. In other words, fractal dimension at the crack tip is a monotonically increasing function of the nominal crack length, i.e., the presence of the Mirror-Mist-Hackle phenomenon is analytically demonstrated.     

Model for prediction of crack resistance of low-strength steels in a wide range of temperatures

On the basis of the concept of thermally activated plastic deformation, are obtained physical relations, which link the crack resistance K_Ic with the effective and inner components of the yield stress, the deforming stress or Brinell HB steel hardness. Checking of the model on the basis of extensive experimental data of other investigations permitted to represent the reduced crack resistance concept as a material constant. A practical method for the prediction of crack resistance has been developed within a wide temperature range T using the relation HB (T) and the value K_Ic at T=77 K; its possible variants are also described.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 7, pp. 21–24, July, 1991.     

Effect of cooperative grain boundary sliding and migration on dislocation emitting from a semi-elliptical blunt crack tip in nanocrystalline solids

A theoretical model is established to investigate the interaction between the cooperative grain boundary (GB) sliding and migration and a semi-elliptical blunt crack in deformed nanocrystalline materials. By using the complex variable method, the effect of two disclination dipoles produced by the cooperative GB sliding and migration process on the emission of lattice dislocations from a semi-elliptical blunt crack tip is explored. Closed-form solutions for the stress field and the force acting on the dislocation are obtained in complex form, and the critical stress intensity factors for the first dislocation emission from a blunt crack under mode I and mode II loadings are calculated. Then, the influence of disclination strength, curvature radius of blunt crack tip, crack length, locations and geometry of disclination dipoles, and grain size on the critical stress intensity factors is presented detailedly. It is shown that the cooperative GB sliding and migration and the grain size have significant influence on the dislocation emission from a blunt crack tip.     

A Lattice Model for Viscoelastic Fracture

A plane, periodic, square-cell lattice is considered,consisting of point particles connected by mass-less viscoelastic bonds.Homogeneous and inhomogeneous problems for steady-state semi-infinitecrack propagation in an unbounded lattice and lattice strip are studied.Expressions for the local-to-global energy-release-rate ratios, stressesand strains of the breaking bonds as well as the crack openingdisplacement are derived. Comparative results are obtained forhomogeneous viscoelastic materials, elastic lattices and homogeneouselastic materials. The influences of viscosity, the discrete structure,cell size, strip width and crack speed on the wave/viscous resistancesto crack propagation are revealed. Some asymptotic results related to animportant asymptotic case of large viscosity (on a scale relative to thelattice cell) are shown. Along with dynamic crack propagation, a theoryfor a slow crack in a viscoelastic lattice is derived.     

An atomistic model of crack extension by kink propagation

A model originally developed to characterize the extension and breakage of interatomic bonds at the tip of a propagating brittle crack is used to describe crack extension through a crystalline lattice by kink motion. Magnitudes of the effective kink barriers against crack extension and healing are computed as a function of lattice strain and are found to exhibit a marked asymmetry, relative to each other, in their strain dependences. In addition, decohesion effects associated with the presence of certain foreign atomic species are simulated, and it is shown that, for a broad range of relative bond-weakening, the kink barriers against both crack extension and healing are completely eliminated.     

Fractal effects of crack propagation on dynamic stress intensity factors and crack velocities

Crack extension paths are often irregular, producing rough fracture surfaces which have a fractal geometry. In this paper, crack tip motion along a fractal crack trace is analysed. A fractal kinking model of the crack extension path is established to describe irregular crack growth. A formula is derived to describe the effects of fractal crack propagation on the dynamic stress intensity factor and on crack velocity. The ratio of the dynamic stress intensity factor to the applied stress intensity factor K(L(D, t), V)/K(L(t), 0), is a function of apparent crack velocity V_o, microstructure parameter d/a (grain size/crack increment step length), fractal dimension D, and fractal kinking angle of crack extension path . For fractal crack propagation, the apparent (or measured) crack velocity V_o, cannot approach the Rayleigh wave speed Cr. Why V_o is significantly lower than Cr in dynamic fracture experiments can be explained by the effects of fractal crack propagation. The dynamic stress intensity factor and apparent crack velocity are strongly affected by the microstructure parameter (d/a), fractal dimension D, and fractal kinking angle of crack extension path . This is in good agreement with experimental findings.     

Stress Intensity Factors of partly circumferential surface cracks at the outer wall of a pipe

By means of the finite element method stress intensity factors were calculated for partly circumferential surface cracks at the outer wall of a pipe. The crack shape considered can be described as curved rectangular shape. The cracks considered have crack depths between 20 and 80 percent of the wall thickness of the pipe and crack lengths (defined by the angle of circumference φ) between φ = 10° and φ = 60°. The pipe is loaded by a constant axial tensile stress σ₀ (equal to 136 Nmm^?2 in the numerial calculations), and the wall thickness to inner radius ratio of the pipe was chosen to 0.1. A wall thickness of 20 mm was used for the numerical calculations.     

On estimating stress intensity factors and modulus of cohesion for fractal cracks

Existing solutions for the singular stress field in the vicinity of a fractal crack tip have been adapted for a somewhat modified problem. Since the integration along the fractal curve is prohibitive and does not lend itself to the presently available mathematical treatments, a simplified one has replaced the original problem. The latter involves a smooth crack embedded in a singular stress field, for which the order of singularity is adjusted to match exactly the one obtained from the analyses pertaining to the fractal crack. Of course, this is only an approximation, and we may only hope that it leads toward correct results, at least in a cursory sense. The advantage of such an approach becomes obvious when one inspects the final closed-form solutions for (a) the stress intensity factor in mode I fractal fracture, and (b) cohesion modulus, which results from the cohesive zone model and serves as a measure of the material resistance to crack propagation. As expected for the fractal geometry employed here, our results are strongly dependent on the fractal dimension D (or roughness exponent H).     

Simple lattice model for numerical simulation of fracture of concrete materials and structures

In this paper a numerical model is presented for simulating fracture in heterogeneous materials such as concrete and rock. The typical failure mechanism, crack face bridging, found in concrete and other materials is simulated by use of a lattice model. The model can be used at a small scale, where the particles in the grain structure are generated and aggregate, matrix and bond properties are assigned to the lattice elements. Simulations at this scale are useful for studying the influence of material composition. In addition the model seems a promising tool for simulating fracture in structures. In this case the microstructure of the material is not mimicked in detail but rather the lattice elements are given tensile strengths which are randomly chosen out of a certain distribution. Realistic crack patterns are found compared with experiments on laboratory-scale specimens. The present results indicate that fracture mechanisms are simulated realistically. This is very important because it simplifies the tuning of the model.     

Determination for the time-to-fracture of solids

A method to determine the time to fracture taking into account the physical mechanisms of microcracks and crack formation is developed on the basis of the fractal model of fracture. The fractal dimension of a crack at different stages of its growth is determined theoretically. The damage evolution law which allows for the kinetic and microstructural properties of a material is obtained on the basis of the kinetic theory of strength. Conditions at which the microcracks accumulation gives way to the propagation of a large crack are determined with the use of the percolation theory. It is shown that the fractal dimension of the initial part of a crack is much more than the fractal dimension of the rest of the crack.     

混凝土断裂及亚临界扩展的细观机制

通过模型和三点弯曲断裂SEM试验,详细研究了混凝土断裂全过程及亚临界扩展的细观机理。结果表明:混凝土断裂是一个复杂的不规则过程,存在明显的亚临界扩展现象。混凝土亚临界扩展路径是曲折的,并非经典断裂力学假定的平直路径,混凝土亚临界扩展和临界失稳扩展呈现分形特征。用起裂断裂韧性K_ICⁱ和分形等效断裂韧性K_IC^e,f来描述混凝土抵抗初裂和临界失稳扩展的能力。给出了考虑亚临界扩展弯折效应的混凝土亚临界扩展长度、混凝土起裂断裂韧性K_ICⁱ和分形等效断裂韧性K_IC^e,f的计算表达式。计算表明:混凝土失稳断裂时的分形等效断裂韧性K_IC^e,f与混凝土亚临界扩展的分维数D成正比。     

基于分形理论分析裂缝形态对纤维/混凝土渗透性的影响

分形维数可以表征裂缝形态,能够用来分析混凝土裂缝断面的粗糙程度。裂缝形态对开裂混凝土的渗透性有重要影响,为研究这种影响,利用劈裂试验获得不同宽度的裂缝,使用不同的纤维种类,并设置多种纤维掺量,得到粗糙程度不同的裂缝断面,通过水渗透试验测量不同裂缝宽度时混凝土的渗透系数。采用激光扫描仪扫描裂缝断面并重构3D断面几何形态,采用立方体覆盖法计算断面分形维数。采用分形维数将实测裂缝宽度和有效裂缝宽度联系起来,联立达西定律和泊肃叶定律建立开裂混凝土渗透系数和分形维数的函数关系。结果表明:使用相同的网格划分法,分形维数随着纤维掺量的增加而增大;渗透系数随着纤维掺量的增加而减小;函数关系式中分形维数的指数绝对值和修正系数都随裂缝宽度增加而减小。      

A discrete cohesive model for fractal cracks

The fractal crack model described here incorporates the essential features of the fractal view of fracture, the basic concepts of the LEFM model, the concepts contained within the Barenblatt-Dugdale cohesive crack model and the quantized (discrete or finite) fracture mechanics assumptions proposed by Pugno and Ruoff [Pugno N, Ruoff RS. Quantized fracture mechanics. Philos Mag 2004;84(27):2829-45] and extended by Wnuk and Yavari [Wnuk MP, Yavari A. Discrete fractal fracture mechanics. Engng Fract Mech 2008;75(5):1127-42]. The well-known entities such as the stress intensity factor and the Barenblatt cohesion modulus, which is a measure of material toughness, have been re-defined to accommodate the fractal view of fracture.For very small cracks or as the degree of fractality increases, the characteristic length constant, related to the size of the cohesive zone is shown to substantially increase compared to the conventional solutions obtained from the cohesive crack model. In order to understand fracture occurring in real materials, whether brittle or ductile, it seems necessary to account for the enhancement of fracture energy, and therefore of material toughness, due to fractal and discrete nature of crack growth. These two features of any real material appear to be inherent defense mechanisms provided by Nature.     

A NEW APPROACH TO THE DETERMINATION OF THE CRACK VELOCITY VERSUS CRACK LENGTH RELATION

Abstract— A mathematical model of crack propagation due to the formation of a fractal cluster of voids and microcracks is presented. The initiation of a microcrack from a pile-up of dislocations in the vicinity of a crack tip is modelled. A method to determine the fractal dimension of a crack, based on the crack growth analysis, is developed. A crack length versus crack velocity relation, based on the physical mechanisms of crack growth and the fractal nature of a crack, is deduced. A formula for the time to fracture is obtained.     

Comparison of the quasi-static method and the dynamic method for simulating fracture processes in concrete

Concrete is heterogeneous and usually described as a three-phase material, where matrix, aggregate and interface are distinguished. To take this heterogeneity into consideration, the Generalized Beam (GB) lattice model is adopted. The GB lattice model is much more computationally efficient than the beam lattice model. Numerical procedures of both quasi-static method and dynamic method are developed to simulate fracture processes in uniaxial tensile tests conducted on a concrete panel. Cases of different loading rates are compared with the quasi-static case. It is found that the inertia effect due to load increasing becomes less important and can be ignored with the loading rate decreasing, but the inertia effect due to unstable crack propagation remains considerable no matter how low the loading rate is. Therefore, an unrealistic result will be obtained if a fracture process including unstable cracking is simulated by the quasi-static procedure.     

Scaling of quasibrittle fracture: hypotheses of invasive and lacunar fractality, their critique and Weibull connection

Considerable progress has been achieved in fractal characterization of the properties of crack surfaces in quasibrittle materials such as concrete, rock, ice, ceramics and composites. Recently, fractality of cracks or microcracks was proposed as the explanation of the observed size effect on the nominal strength of structures. This explanation, though, has rested merely on intuitive analogy and geometric reasoning, and did not take into account the mechanics of crack propagation. In this paper, the energy-based asymptotic analysis of scaling presented in the preceding companion paper in this issue [1] is extended to the effect of fractality on scaling. First, attention is focused on the propagation of fractal crack curves (invasive fractals). The modifications of the scaling law caused by crack fractality are derived, both for quasibrittle failures after large stable crack growth and for failures at the initiation of a fractal crack in the boundary layer near the surface. Second, attention is focused on discrete fractal distribution of microcracks (lacunar fractals), which is shown to lead to an analogy with Weibull's statistical theory of size effect due to material strength randomness. The predictions ensuing from the fractal hypothesis, either invasive or lacunar, disagree with the experimentally confirmed asymptotic characteristics of the size effect in quasibrittle structures. It is also pointed out that considering the crack curve as a self-similar fractal conflicts with kinematics. This can be remedied by considering the crack to be an affine fractal. It is concluded that the fractal characteristics of either the fracture surface or the microcracking at the fracture front cannot have a significant influence on the law of scaling of failure loads, although they can affect the fracture characteristics. Walter P. Murphy, Professor| of This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Optical free-path-length distribution in a fractal aggregate and its effect on enhanced backscattering

A free-path-length distribution function (FPDF) of multiply backscattered light is theoretically derived for a fractal aggregate of particles. An effective mean-free path-length l(D) is newly introduced as a measure of randomness analogous with a homogeneously random medium. We confirm the validity of the FPDF by demonstrating agreement between the dimensions designed for a particle distribution generated by a random walk based on the derived FPDF and estimated by the radius of gyration method. The FPDF is applied to Monte Carlo simulations for copolarized multiply backscattered light from the fractal aggregate of particles. It is shown that a copolarized intensity peak of enhanced backscattering in the far field decreases in accordance with theta(2-D) and has an angular width of lambda/l(D). This spatial feature of the backscattering enhancement corresponds to that of the copolarized intensity peak produced from a homogeneously random medium with a dimension of D = 3. As a result, the validity of the model for the fractal structure of particle aggregates and the applicability of the derived FPDF are confirmed by the numerical results.