J-INTEGRAL SOLUTIONS FOR SHALLOW CRACK GEOMETRIES UNDER COMBINED TENSION AND BENDING

This paper presents J-integral solutions for geometries with shallow edge cracks (0.05 ≤a/W≤ 0.1) subjected to combined tension and bending. Tension and bending is applied simultaneously and sequentially. Curves of J versus structural strain are obtained from two-dimensional plane strain finite element analyses using medium to low work hardening power laws to represent material behaviour. Empirical equations are derived from the finite element results to estimate the J-integrals, using previously developed J-estimation schemes for SENT and SENB specimens with only minor modifications. The predictions presented are invariably safe, but due to the complexity of the problems studied and the variability of the loadings considered, the degree of conservatism is found to be high in some cases.