FRACTURE MECHANICS ANALYSIS BASED ON A LOCAL SIMULATION PRINCIPLE

Abstract— A local simulation principle is presented which allows the transfer of geometry-dependent fracture parameters from a specimen to a component if the local constraint conditions of the crack tip in the component are simulated by the specimen. This can be achieved by adapting the specimen to the component with respect to the ligament length, the ligament width, the crack length and the loading geometry. If these requirements are met, then the relationship between the load and the driving force in the component can be estimated from the specimen by a simple scaling procedure. The application of the local simulation principle is illustrated by an example.