Studies on the fracture mechanics parameters of weldment with mechanical heterogeneity

The fully plastic solutions of welded centre-cracked strip for plane stress problem were carefully investigated with the fully plastic finite element method. It was introduced for assessing the fracture mechanics parameters of weldment with mechanical heterogeneity that there existed an equivalent yielding stress and equivalent strain hardening exponent in the vicinity of crack tip keeping the assessment of fracture mechanics parameters of weldment in the same way as the homogeneous material. The equivalent yielding stress and equivalent strain hardening exponent of various matched weldment were computed and the effect of weld metal width were calculated and discussed on equivalent yielding stress and equivalent strain hardening exponent near crack tip. The engineering approach was given for estimating the fracture mechanics parameters of weldment with mechanical heterogeneity in elastic-plastic range.