THE INFLUENCE OF SPECIMEN GEOMETRY ON NEAR THRESHOLD FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

Abstract— The near threshold fatigue behavior of a nickel base superalloy and a wrought 2024 aluminum alloy is examined as a function of specimen geometry. Experimental results revealed that for a given value of Δ K in Region I, crack growth rates were observed to increase as the specimen loading became more symmetric with respect to the load line. Compact tension type specimens exhibited lower crack growth rates than the more symmetrically loaded center cracked tension specimens. Consideration of the observed discrepancies is given in terms of the near field crack tip stress distribution and deformation behavior of the material affecting crack advance.     

交通信号支撑结构疲劳裂纹扩展有限元分析

为了解决交通信号支撑结构疲劳裂纹扩展的问题,利用ANSYS软件对已有的信号支撑结构静力和疲劳试验分别建模分析,并用有限元结果与试验结果进行对比。研究表明：静力加载模型中,圆钢管上最大Mises应力为413.7 MPa,有限元结果与试验结果较为接近;裂纹最深点△K_Ⅱ和△K_Ⅲ值较小,△K_eff与△K_Ⅰ几乎完全相等,裂纹扩展寿命主要受△K_Ⅰ值的影响;远离裂纹端点处各点的△K_Ⅰ值呈现出M形状;Bowness公式计算得到的裂纹最深点的△K_Ⅰ值比有限元结果大,利用该公式预测交通信号支撑结构端板与圆钢管焊接节点的疲劳寿命较为保守。     

DETERMINATION OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE MESH SIZE FOR A 2-D FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF FATIGUE CRACK CLOSURE BEHAVIOUR

Abstract— A two-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element analysis is performed for plane stress conditions with 4-node isoparametric elements to examine closure behaviour of fatigue cracks, giving special attention to the determination of the most appropriate mesh sizes. It is found that a smaller mesh size does not always give more accurate simulation results in the fatigue crack closure analysis, unlike a conventional structural analysis. A unique, most-appropriate mesh size exists for a given loading condition that will provide numerical results which agree well with experimental data. The most appropriate mesh size can be determined approximately in terms of the theoretical reversed plastic zone size. In particular, the ratio of the most appropriate mesh size to the theoretical reversed plastic zone size is nearly constant for a given stress ratio in the so-called crack-length-fixed method proposed in this study. By using the concept of the most appropriate mesh size, the finite element analysis can predict fatigue crack closure behaviour very well.     

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF CLOSURE BEHAVIOUR OF FATIGUE CRACKS IN RESIDUAL STRESS FIELDS

An elastic-plastic finite element analysis with high order elements is performed to examine closure behaviour of fatigue. cracks in residua1 stress fieids and the numerical results are then compared with experimental results. The finite element analysis, performed under plane stress using 8-node isoparametric elements, can predict fatigue crack closure behaviour through residual stress fields very well. The crack opening and closing behaviour through a compressive residual stress field is found to be complicated and influenced by the applied load magnitude and the location of the crack tip. Three different types of crack opening behaviour, namely, normal, unsymmetric partial and symmetric partial crack opening behaviour are observed through a compressive residual stress field. The partial crack opening stress intensity factor including the partial crack opening effect is recommended for the prediction of fatigue crack growth through a compressive residual stress field.     

FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING OF FATIGUE CRACK SHAPES

This paper describes a versatile finite element technique which has been used to investigate the fatigue growth and stability of a wide range of structural defects of practical importance. The procedure automatically remeshes the three-dimensional finite element model during the stages of crack growth. Problems analysed to date include the subsurface and breakout growth of internally initiated elliptical defects, the growth of semi-elliptical surface cracks in leak-before-break situations, the development of quarter-elliptical corner defects, the interaction and coalescence of two adjacent coplanar semi-elliptical surface defects and the fatigue growth of a defect in a round bar.     

A BOUNDARY ELEMENT MODEL OF PLASTICITY-INDUCED FATIGUE CRACK CLOSURE

This paper describes a plane stress boundary element model of plasticity-induced fatigue crack closure. A simple Dugdale-type strip yield zone is used and quadratic programming techniques are employed to establish crack shape, stress and plastic deformation. The technique is extremely effective and the model can be readily implemented on a personal computer. Predictions of crack closure behaviour are produced for cracks growing under constant amplitude loading, and also following an overload or overload/underload cycle. These results are compared with an empirical R-ratio correction due to Walker and with experimental measurements taken from the literature. The model is found to give good predictions of crack behaviour under constant amplitude loading. Predictions for crack closure levels following an overload cycle give qualitative agreement with experimental results; the differences observed may well be due to the different definition of crack closure in the experiments.     

EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL ESTIMATES OF FATIGUE CRACK CLOSURE IN AN ALUMINIUM-COPPER ALLOY PART II: A FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

Abstract— A numerical investigation of the fatigue crack closure phenomenon has been performed by an elastic-plastic finite element analysis. Computer software was developed to consider many aspects affecting plasticity-induced crack closure. Linear and power-law hardening models are considered in the finite element analysis. The paper presents results from the study carried out on compact tension (CT) coupons at various crack lengths corresponding to different loading conditions. Finally the results of the analysis are compared with the experimental estimates of fatigue crack closure levels obtained from laser interferometry, scanning-electron and transmission-electron fractography presented in Part I of this paper on identical specimens.     

EFFECT OF SPECIMEN GEOMETRY ON FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH IN PLANE STRAIN—II. OVERLOAD RESPONSE

Abstract— Overload tests were performed on compact tension (CT) and centre cracked panel (CCP) specimens made from 6082-T6 aluminium alloy and BS4360 50B structural steel. The specimens were sufficiently thick for plane strain conditions to apply. Consistently greater retardation was observed in the CCP geometry than in the CT geometry. The effect of geometry is understood in terms of the T -stress and its effect on the overload plastic zone size. This was confirmed by biaxial tests in which the T -stress was varied independently of K. The action of machining off the side faces of an overloaded specimen did not eliminate the retardation; thus overload retardation is not due to a propping open by the surface regions of the specimen. Discontinuous closure was observed after overloads in the aluminium alloy and steel, as predicted by finite element calculations.     

EFFECT OF FATIGUE CRACK CLOSURE ON NEAR-THRESHOLD CRACK RESISTANCE OF STRUCTURAL STEELS

Abstract— The present paper is an attempt to clarify conditions for plasticity-induced and oxide-induced crack closure as well as to evaluate the effect of crack closure on near-threshold fatigue crack behaviour.
The autocatalytic character of oxide formation at the crack tip has been elucidated in this study. An increase of plastic constraint at the crack tip is shown to intensify the fretting oxide formation process on the fracture surface and thus to cause an increase of the stress intensity factor range controlling the fatigue crack propagation rate. The proposed concept of stress state influence on crack closure allows us to explain the effect of specimen thickness on Δ K _th.     

EFFECT OF SPECIMEN GEOMETRY ON FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH IN PLANE STRAIN—I. CONSTANT AMPLITUDE RESPONSE

Abstract— The influence of specimen geometry on crack growth and crack closure response was determined for BS4360 50B steel and 6082-T6 aluminium alloy. Specimens were sufficiently thick for plane strain conditions to prevail along most of the crack front. After an initial crack growth transient from the sharpened notch, and steady state conditions are attained, the growth rate and closure responses are independent of specimen geometry. At growth rates above the near-threshold regime the cyclic crack openings exceed the fracture surface roughness for the steel, but are much less than the surface roughness for the aluminium alloy. This suggests that roughness-induced crack closure plays a dominant role for the aluminium alloy but not for the steel. Finally, the effect of mean stress upon closure response is presented for the steel.     

CRACK CLOSURE IN SMALL FATIGUE CRACKS—A COMPARISON OF FINITE ELEMENT PREDICTIONS WITH IN-SITU SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract— A three dimensional, elastic-plastic, finite element analysis of fatigue crack growth and plasticity-induced crack closure has been performed for a range of small, semi-circular cracks. Predicted crack opening displacements have been compared with data obtained from in-situ SEM measurements for a coarse-grained aluminium alloy 2024-T351. The magnitude of fatigue crack closure measured from in-situ SEM measurements was consistently higher than that predicted from the finite element analysis. It is deduced that the higher closure stresses obtained from in-situ SEM measurements are due to the contact of asperities on the fatigue crack surfaces. A simple mathematical model is suggested to describe the fatigue crack closure stress caused by the combination of both a plastic wake and asperities on the fatigue crack surfaces. The predicted fatigue crack closure stresses and their dependence on crack size are consistent with experimental measurement.     

A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE CRACK CLOSURE EFFECT ON NEAR-THRESHOLD FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

Abstract— Crack closure in the near-crack-tip region has been considered to be an important contribution to the development of a crack-growth threshold for macroscopic cracks. Recent analytical work, however, has suggested that closure well back of the tip may be the controlling factor. In order to check on this possibility, material has been machined away far behind the crack tip in order to eliminate long-range closure. Removal of this material did not eliminate the threshold, but did lower the threshold level by approx. 10% for tests conducted on 6.3 mm-thick X7090-T6 powder metallurgy aluminum alloy.     

EFFECT OF NOTCH STRESS FIELD AND CRACK CLOSURE ON SHORT FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

Abstract— The growth rate of a short fatigue crack that is partly or wholly embedded within the notch plastic zone, is affected by the extent and intensity of the elastic-plastic notch stress field and closure effect. The notch stress—strain field and plastic zone were analysed by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The growth rate and the closure curve for a short fatigue crack emanating from the notch root were measured. Based on the experimental and numerical analyses, a modified Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) parameter is proposed for a short through-thickness crack emanating from a notch root under elastic—plastic loading conditions.     

主动控制裂纹智能复合构件的有限元分析

从形状记忆合金(SMA ) 的本构关系出发, 利用Taylor 展开进行线性化处理, 获得了线性化的SMA 本构关系式, 在此基础上提出了拟温度载荷法, 并利用这种方法直接应用现有的有限元程序对控制裂纹的SMA 智能复合构件进行了计算与分析。通过计算和实验对比分析, 说明了应用本文中提出的拟温度载荷法模拟SMA 的回复效应是可行的; 同时也表明TiNi 薄带对构件裂纹有很好的控制作用。      

THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT ON CRACK CLOSURE AND FATIGUE THRESHOLD*

Abstract— The threshold value for fatigue crack growth of a medium carbon steel was increased when the test-environment was changed from air to an aggressive H₂S-containing brine. This increase in fatique threshold was shown to be caused by corrosion product-induced crack closure. Further, the fatigue threshold and crack closure level were shown to be dependent on the growth rate history in approaching threshold. The differences in fatigue crack growth rate and fatigue threshold resulting from test procedure and growth rate history were significantly reduced by employing the effective stress intensity concept.     

CRO试样的疲劳裂纹扩展行为试验方法研究

考虑到如紧凑拉伸和三点弯曲等标准试样的大尺寸要求以及高试验成本等突出问题,该文发展了含外侧径向裂纹C形环小试样（C-ring with an outer radial crack,CRO）的疲劳裂纹扩展行为试验方法。利用有限元分析建立了CRO小试样的高精度应力强度因子算式以及基于柔度法理论的裂纹长度预测公式。采用5083-H112铝合金分别完成了CRO试样和标准CT试样的疲劳裂纹扩展速率试验,获得了相应的Paris方程中的幂指数。通过对比发现,CRO和CT试样的疲劳裂纹扩展规律基本一致,验证了新方法的有效性。基于上述方法对C250钢两种厚度CRO试样的疲劳裂纹扩展行为进行了应用研究。     

INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATION-INDUCED CRACK CLOSURE ON SLOW FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH UNDER VARIABLE AMPLITUDE LOADING

Abstract Fatigue crack growth under constant and random loading conditions was investigated for a metastable austenitic-bainitic steel in comparison with a ferritic chromium steel at very low crack growth rates. Experimentally determined random crack growth was compared with linear Miner calculations on the basis of constant amplitude results. It was found that the measured crack growth rates in transforming material are a factor of 10 lower than the calculated values, whereas the difference is only a factor of 2 for the ferritic steel. The reason for the pronounced crack growth retardation in the metastable alloy is transformation of part of the austenitic phase into martensite in the stress field of the crack tip, accompanied by a volume increase and, consequently, residual compressive stresses. Rare high load cycles in the random sequence increase the closure level, which then leads to pronounced retardation of fatigue crack growth for the numerous successive low amplitude cycles.     

AN ANALYSIS OF FRICTIONAL EFFECTS ON CYLINDRICAL MODE III FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION SPECIMENS

Abstract— A model predicting the magnitude of frictional effects from fracture surface roughness on mode III fatigue crack growth is presened. Analysis of published data indicates that fracture surface roughness of the order of micrometers or less is enough to account for mode III fatigue crack growth retardation observation for increasing crack lengths for growth at constant Δ K . The model suggests that high strength materials will exhibit a greater resistance to shear crack growth than low strength materials. It also suggests that the resistance to shear crack growth will be more prominent at low nominal applied shear stress. The results of the analysis suggest that the concept of similitude does apply to mode III fatigue crack growth when the effects of friction on the stress intensity factor are included.