Fracture mechanics of two dimensional noncircular flaws—the equivalent area approximation

The equivalent area method of converting a two dimensional irregularly shaped flaw into a circular one of same fracture mechanics propagation lifetime appears to be promising. It is shown to be a good approximation for the simpler elliptical and square flaw geometries. Whether the equivalent area method also holds for the more complex flaw geometries remains to be verified. The importance of this study to nondestructive lifetime evaluation technology of structural components is discussed.