Crack tip stress intensity factor of the double slip plane crack model: Short cracks and short short-cracks

The crack tip stress intensity factorK ₁ for a short crack is determined using the double slip plane (DSP) crack model. It is shown thatK ₁ for a stationary crack is larger than the nominal stress intensity factorK. This result differs from the case of the stationary DSP long crack for whichK ₁ =K. The physical cause whyK ₁ >K is the fall off with distance of the dislocation shielding/antishielding factor I. at a rate faster than an inverse square root dependence when the distance from a dislocation to a crack tip is of the order of or larger than the crack half widtha. The value ofL for a dislocation situated at an arbitrary position about a crack is derived in this paper. (The Rice-Thomson expressions forL are valid only if a dislocation is very close to a crack tip.) The short short-crack is also analysed using the DSP crack model. (A short short-crack crack is defined to be a short crack whose plastic zone behind the crack tip extends to the center of the crack.) The value of K₁ for the short short-crack is a constant and is larger than K. Finally, it is shown that if the crack length is smaller than a critical value that is inversely proportional to the yield stress and is proportional to the critical stress intensity factor K_cb of a Griffith crack that K₁ must be smaller than K,t, regardless of how closely the applied stress approaches the yield stress. These results imply that fatigue crack growth of short cracks in the DSP crack model occurs at a faster rate than for long cracks when the conventional cyclic stress intensity factor is above the threshold value and that short cracks can grow under cyclic stress intensity factors smaller than the threshold value.

---

Résumé On détermine le facteur d'intensité d'entailleK ₁, à l'extrémité d'une fissure courte en recourant au modèle de fissure à double plan de glissement DSP). On montre que, pour une fissure stationnaire,K ₁ est plus grand que le facteur d'intensité de contrainte nominalK. Ce résultat se distingue du cas où l'on applique le modèle DSP à une fissure longue, qui conduit àK ₁ =K. La raison physique pour laquelleK ₁ >K réside dans le fait que lorsque la distance qui sépare une dislocation d'une fissure est égale ou supérieure à la demi largeur de la fissure, le facteurL de bloquage/débloquage des dislocations s'estompe rapidement en fonction de la distance.On établit dans l'étude la valeur deL correspondant à une dislocation sise dans une position arbitraire par rapport à une fissure (à noter que les expressions de Rice-Thompson pour L ne sont applicables que si la dislocation est très proche de l'extrémité de la fissure). On étudie également é l'aide du modèle DSP le cas de la fissure courte-courte, que l'on définit comme celle dont la zone plastique derrière son extrémité s'étend jusqu'à son centré. La valeur deK _t pour une fissure courte-courte est une constante et est supérieure à K. Enfin, on montre que si la longueur de la fissure ne dépasse pas une valeur critique, inversement proportionnelle à la contrainte limite d'écoulement et proportionnelle au facteur d'intensité de contraintesK _cb d'une fissure de Griffith, la valeur deK _t doit être inférieure àK _cb, quelque proche de la contrainte limite d'écoulement que soit la contrainte appliquée.Ces résultats impliquent que la vitesse de propagation d'une fissure courte par fatique suivant le modèle DSP est supérieure à celle relative à une fissure longue, lorsque le facteur conventionnel de concentration de contraintes cycliques dépasse une valeur de seuil, et que des fissures courtes peuvent s'étendre sous un facteur d'intensité de contraintes cycliques plus petit que cette valeur de seuil.

     

Effect of curvature at the crack tip on the stress intensity factor for curved cracks

In this paper, the numerical solution of the hypersingular integral equation using the body force method in curved crack problems is presented. In the body force method, the stress fields induced by two kinds of standard set of force doublets are used as fundamental solutions. Then, the problem is formulated as a system of integral equations with the singularity of the form r ^–2. In the numerical calculation, two kinds of unknown functions are approximated by the products of the fundamental density functions and power series. The calculation shows that the present method gives rapidly converging numerical results for curved cracks under various geometrical conditions. In addition, a method of evaluation of the stress intensity factors for arbitrary shaped curved cracks is proposed using the approximate replacement to a simple straight crack.     

On the calculation of crack opening displacement from the stress intensity factor

For the application of the weight function method the crack opening displacements for a reference case have to be known. An approximate method to derive the crack opening field from the stress intensity factor was proposed by Petroski and Achenbach [Engng Fracture Mech. 10, 257 (1978)]. The limited accuracy of their method becomes evident in cases where the stresses differ strongly from the homogeneous loading case (σ = const.). By expanding the crack opening displacement field in a power series it is demonstrated here how the approximative solutions can be improved by simple additional conditions.     

An effective numerical stress intensity factor calculation with no crack discretization

An effective numerical procedure for calculating stress intensity factors (SIF) in plane problems based on a modified boundary element technique not requiring any crack discretization was proposed by Snyder [1]. Instead of the usual fundamental solution, he used Green's function for the problem of a traction-free central crack in an anisotropic plate.In the first part of the present paper, the corresponding Green's function for the isotropic problem, not explicitly included in [1], is presented. In addition to the central crack, a semi-infinite edge crack is considered. Both Green's functions are given for the case of the anti-plane state of strain as well. In the first step of the proposed procedure, the tractions and displacements along the outer boundary are calculated. In the second step, the SIF for modes I, II and III are derived in terms of simple boundary integrals over quantities known from the previous step. Contrary to Snyder's derivation, the determination of the SIF is based on the asymptotic displacement field at the crack tip. The method can easily be extended to multiple crack problems by using the subregion technique. Some illustrative examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.

---

Résumé Snyder a proposé une procédure numérique pour le calcul des facteurs et intensité de contraintes dans les problèmes plans, en se basant sur une modification de la technique des éléments aux limites ne requérant pas de discrétisation de la fissure. Au lieu d'une solution fondamentale habituelle, il a utilisé une fonction de Green pour traiter le problème d'une fissure centrale libre de contraintes dans un plaque anisotrope.Dans la première partie de la présente étude, on présente la fonction de Green qui correspond à un problème isotrope, qui n'était pas explicitement couvert par le travail de Snyder. Outre le cas de la fissure centrale, on considère le cas de la fissure de bord dans un milieu semi-infini. Les deux fonctions de Green relatives au cas d'un état de déformation antiplanaire sont également communiquées. Dans une première étape de la procédure proposée, on calcule les sollicitations et déplacements le long du contour extérieur; dans une deuxième étape, on établit les facteurs d'intensité de contraintes relatifs aux modes I, II et III en terms d'intégrals sur un contour simple défini par les valeurs résultant de l'étape précédente. Contraitement à l'approche de Snyder, on détermine le facteur d'intensité des contraintes sur base du champs de déplacement asymptotique à l'extrémité de la fissure. Par la technique des sous-régions, on peut aisément étendre la méthode à des problèmes de fissuration multiples. L'efficacité de la méthode est illustrée par divers exemples.

     

Application of the double slip plane crack model to temperature and strain rate sensitive BCC metals

The double slip plane crack model proposed by Weertman, Lin and Thomson (1982) has been applied to model the effect of temperature and strain rate on the stress intensity factor at a crack tip in temperature and strain rate sensitive materials. Increase in temperature or decrease in strain rate (as well as a decrease in slip plane spacing) are shown to increase the shielding of the crack tip by dislocation distributions on the slip planes. Furthermore, the effect of temperature on the fracture toughness, K_llc, at various strain rates was shown to exhibit the same sigmoidal shaped curve seen for K_lc data in typical alloy steels.     

Finite elements for determination of crack tip elastic stress intensity factors

A new type of finite element is introduced which embodies the inverse square root singularity present near a crack in an elastic medium. Using this element near the tip in two typical cracked configurations, stress intensity factors within 5 per cent of accepted values were obtained with meshes having as few as 250° of freedom.     

A model for fatigue crack growth with a variable stress intensity factor

A model for fatigue crack growth, similar to that of Majumdar and Morrow, is proposed where the crack growth rate is determined from the low cycle fatigue and cyclic stress-strain response of the material. The model is for a constant stress range at infinity, but does allow for a variable stress intensity factor due to the changing crack length. The study also includes an analysis of the strain range in the neighborhood of the crack tip. Further it is shown that the model predicts the critical stress intensity factor. A prediction of the crack growth rate is made for 2024-T351 aluminium, copper and CU-6.3 AL alloy and is compared to the experimental observations.     

The crack tip opening angle (CTOA) of the plane stress moving crack

Recently, Crack Tip Opening Angle (CTOA) was proposed by C.F. Shih et al. to describe the instability criterion of ductile crack propagation during plane strain (flat crack) conditions, and was derived by J. R. Rice analytically by means of the slip line field theory and the incremental theory of plasticity. CTOA appears to be applicable in (some or most) cases, but does not accurately describe the plane stress growing crack (slant crack).Unstable ductile crack propagation of the plane stress crack is widely studied for the safe design of highly pressurized gas pipelines. The impact absorption energy of the Charpy test is well correlated to the fracture arresting properties of the structures, but the mechanics of the fracture are not yet well established.In this paper, CTOA of the plane stress growing crack is derived from the plane stress plasticity of perfectly plastic materials by Sokolovsky's approach. Our proposed modification of CTOA expressed as follows: $\text{CTOA}\text{= (α/δ}{}_0\text{)(}\text{d}\text{J/}\text{d}\text{l) + β(δ}{}_0\text{/E)}\text{ln}\text{(eR/r)}$ where $\text{β = 1.40}$ under the plane stress conditions.CTOA in the Dugdale model is also defined and compared with the results of laboratory test. The results show that $\text{α = 0.5}$, and $\text{β = 1.27}$ for plane stress crack growth. These analyses give similar results to those obtained by Rice et al. for CTOA under plane strain conditions, that is, $\text{α = 0.65}$ from the experimental results and $\text{β = 5.08}$ from the slip line theory.The CTOA obtained for plane stress ductile crack growth is applied to the wide plate tensile crack growth test. The results of the present analysis coincide well with those of the plane stress finite element method (FEM) computed by T. Kanazawa et al. The phenomena of plane stress ductile crack propagation are also explained by the CTOA criterion under plane stress conditions.     

Stress intensity factor for a plane crack under normal pressure

The problem of a plane crack in an infinite solid under normal internal pressure is formulated to result in an integral equation for the unknown normal stresses on the plane of the crack. Once these stresses are determined the stress intensity factor, K _I, around the crack edge and the normal displacements of points inside the crack region are obtained numerically. The crack contour shape and the normal loading of the crack can be arbitrary. In this paper the integral equation is solved numerically and the stress intensity factor, K _I, is obtained for cracks subjected to uniform and linearly varying normal pressure and having various convex contour shapes.

---

Résumé En formulant le problème de la fissure plane dans un solide infini soumis à une pression interne normale, on aboutit à une équation intégrale pour les contraintes normales inconnues dans le plan de la fissure. Lorsque ces contraintes sont déterminées, le facteur d'intensité des contraintes K _I au bord de la fissure et les déplacements normaux des points situés à l'intérieur de la région de la fissure, peuvent être obtenus par voie numérique. La forme du contour de la fissure et la charge normale sur la fissure peuvent être arbitraires. Dans ce mémoire, l'équation intégrale est résolue par voie numérique et le facteur d'intensité des contraintes K _I est obtenu dans le cas de fissures soumises à une pression normale uniforme et variant linéairement, ces fissures ayant des contours divers de forme convexe.

     

Variational bounds of the stress intensity factor at the edge of a plane opening mode crack

Criteria for opening mode critical stress intensity factors in three-dimensional elastic or viscoelastic solids are proposed based upon variational bounds similar in principle to those developed by Lavrent'ev for problems in gas dynamics.     

The stress intensity factor for the double cantilever beam

Fourier transforms and the Wiener-Hopf technique are used in conjunction with plane elastostatics to examine the singular crack tip stress field in the Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimen. With terms of orderh ²/a ² retained in the series expansion, the dimensionless stress intensity factor is found to be \(Kh^{\tfrac{1}{2}} /P = (12)^{\tfrac{1}{2}} (a/h + 0.6728 + 0.0377h^2 /a^2 )\) , in whichP is the magnitude of the concentrated forces per unit thickness, a is the distance from the crack tip to the points of load application, andh is the height of each cantilever beam. This result is quite similar to the expression \(Kh^{\tfrac{1}{2}} /P = 3.46a/h + 2.38\) , which Gross and Srawley obtained by fitting a line to discrete results from their boundary collocation analysis. Still another expression, \(Kh^{\tfrac{1}{2}} /P = [12\{ (a/h + 0.6)^2 + \tfrac{1}{3}\} ]^{\tfrac{1}{2}}\) , obtained by Ripling, Mostovoy and Patrick from a strength of materials approach combined with compliance measurements, although somewhat different in form from the present results, also yields accurate values ofK for thea/h-range of practical interest (2 ?a/h ? 10). The present result serves as both a confirmation and a refinement of the Gross and Srawley formula. For this reason, and because of its simplicity, the present result should be useful in the derivation of other simple and parametrically appropriate equations for the analysis of data from DCB specimen tests.     

Thermal effect of plastic dissipation at the crack tip on the stress intensity factor under cyclic loading

Plastic dissipation at the crack tip under cyclic loading is responsible for the creation of an heterogeneous temperature field around the crack tip. A thermomechanical model is proposed in this paper for the theoretical problem of an infinite plate with a semi-infinite through crack under mode I cyclic loading both in plane stress or in plane strain condition. It is assumed that the heat source is located in the reverse cyclic plastic zone. The proposed analytical solution of the thermo-mechanical problem shows that the crack tip is under compression due to thermal stresses coming from the heterogeneous stress field around the crack tip. The effect of this stress field on the stress intensity factor (its maximum and its range) is calculated analytically for the infinite plate and by finite element analysis. The heat flux within the reverse cyclic plastic zone is the key parameter to quantify the effect of dissipation at the crack tip on the stress intensity factor.     

Finite element calculation of stress intensity factors for interfacial crack using virtual crack closure integral

This paper presents a successful implementation of the virtual crack closure integral method to calculate the stress intensity factors of an interfacial crack. The present method would compute the mixed-mode stress intensity factors from the mixed-mode energy release rates of the interfacial crack, which are easily obtained from the crack opening displacements and the nodal forces at and ahead of the crack tip, in a finite element model. The simple formulae which relate the stress intensity factors to the energy release rates are given in three separate categories: an isotropic bimaterial continuum, an orthotropic bimaterial continuum, and an anisotropic bimaterial continuum. In the example of a central crack in a bimaterial block under the plane strain condition, comparisons are made with the exact solution to determine the accuracy and efficiency of the numerical method. It was found that the virtual crack closure integral method does lead to very accurate results with a relatively coarse finite element mesh. It has also been shown that for an anisotropic interfacial crack under the generalized plane strain condition, the computed stress intensity factors using the virtual crack closure method compared favorably with the results using the J integral method applied to two interacting crack tip solutions. In order for the stress intensity factors to be used as physical variables, the characteristic length for the stress intensity factors must be properly defined. A study was carried out to determine the effects of the characteristic length on the fracture criterion based the mixed-mode stress intensity factors. It was found that the fracture criterion based on the quadratic mixture of the normalized stress intensity factors is less sensitive to the changes in characteristic length than the fracture criterion based on the total energy release rate along with the phase angle.This work has been supported by ONR, with Dr. Y. Rajapakse as the program official.     

Crack tip stress intensity factors for a crack emanating from a sharp notch

Accurate calibrations are provided for the crack tip stress intensity factor for a crack of finite length emanating from the symmetric tip of a sharp notch, of arbitrary angle, in terms of the generalised stress intensity quantifying remote loading of the notch. The solution is applied to example problems and shown to be accurate for cases where the crack is much shorter then the notch depth.