Modelling of crack growth by fracture damage zone

The strain energy density (SED) criterion is applied for analyzing the full range of mixed mode fracture from tensile to shear loading. A fracture damage zone (FDZ) local to the crack tip is defined and discussed in connection with the influence of crack geometry, loading and local material property. The size of FDZ tends to change continuously from statically to cyclically applied load conditions. It can be estimated from the uniaxial mechanical properties of the material. Both experimental and analytical results are examined for subcritical crack growth under static loading that depends on the type steel structures the fracture behavior of which could be represented by a single curve for the given specimen geometry.     

Damage accumulation and crack growth in bilinear materials with softening: Application of strain energy density theory

A pseudo-elastic damage-accumulation model is developed by application of the strain energy density theory. The three-point bending specimen is analyzed to illustrate the crack growth characteristics according to a linear elastic softening constitutive law that is typical of concrete materials. Damage accumulation is accounted for by the decrease of elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Both of these effects are assessed by means of the strain energy density functions in the elements around a slowly moving crack. The rate of change of the strain energy density factor S with crack growth as expressed by the relation dS/da = constant is shown to describe the failure behavior of concrete. Results are obtained for different loading steps that yield different slopes of lines in an S versus a (crack length) plot. The lines rotate about the common intersect in an anti-clockwise direction as the load steps are increased. The intersect shifts upward according to increase in the specimen size. In this way, the combined interaction of material properties, load steps and specimen geometry and size are easily analyzed in terms of the failure mode or behavior that can change from the very brittle to the ductile involving stable crack growth. An upper limit on specimen or structural size is established beyond which stable crack growth ceases to occur and failure corresponds to unstable crack propagation or catastrophic fracture. The parameters that control the failure mode are the threshold values of the strain energy density function (dW/dV)_c and the strain energy density factor S_c.     

Crack growth in concrete slab resting on steel beam: softening and damage accumulation

Analyzed in this work is the four-point bending of a concrete slab supported by a steel beam. An edge crack is assumed to prevail on the tension side of the concrete that would grow gradually while the overall stiffness and local fracture toughness of the concrete would also degrade as damage accumulates. The latter two quantities are assumed to decrease with increasing deflection of the composite system. These effects are incorporated into the strain energy density criterion that can simultaneously predict crack initiation and growth including the event of final termination. Numerical results on load and deflection are obtained for two different composite concrete/steel beam systems such that the prevailing geometric material and loading parameters are accounted for as a combination. The distances between the local and global stationary values of the volume energy density are also determined as an indication of fracture instability. An edge crack tends to extend more stably as the compressive zone ahead increases with deflection of the composite beam.     

Fracture resistance and strength of two-phase WC–Ni alloy

Microcracking near a crack tip in a material with microinhomogeneity is regarded as a stochastic process. Both the critical deformation energy density and minimum ligament size of a structural element at global failure are related to a fracture resistance parameter which depends also on the strength. This parameter is also known as the critical energy density factor. For composites it is shown that transition of material behaviour from one structural state to another could alter the fracture resistance depending on character of the critical defect size and strength. The theoretical result is shown to be in agreement with the experimental data.     

脆性材料在双向应力下的断裂实验与理论分析

研究了脆性材料在双向应力下的断裂特性和失效机理，特别是在平行于裂纹的应力对临界断裂参数的影响方面进行了实验上和理论上的研究．采用玻璃、陶瓷等脆性材料进行了平面双向拉伸和单向拉伸试验，并对实验结果进行比较．观测直通裂纹的启裂和扩展过程，证明了双向应力对裂纹驱动力有明显影响，讨论了裂纹扩展的应变准则．     

Elliptical crack normal to functionally graded interface of bonded solids

This paper presents an analysis of an elliptical crack that is perpendicular to a functionally graded interfacial zone between two fully bonded solids. The functionally graded interfacial zone is treated as a non-homogeneous solid layer with its elastic modulus varying in the thickness direction. A generalized Kelvin solution based boundary element method is employed for the calculation of the stress intensity factors associated with the three-dimensional crack problem. The elliptical crack surface is subject to either uniform normal traction or uniform shear traction. The stress intensity factors are examined by taking into account the effects of the non-homogeneity parameter and thickness of the functionally graded interfacial zone, as well as the crack distance to the zone. The SIF values are further incorporated into the S-criterion for prediction of crack growth. The paper presents the most possible direction and location of the elliptical crack growth under an inclined tensile (or compressive) load. The paper further presents results of the critical external loads that would cause the elliptical crack to grow at the most possible location and along the most possible direction. The paper also examines the effects of external load direction and material and geometrical parameters on the critical loads.     

平行于功能梯度材料夹层的币型裂纹起裂条件

分析了功能梯度材料中币型裂纹的扩展问题．裂纹平行于无限域中功能梯度材料夹层,受有与裂纹面成任意角度的拉应力．假定功能梯度材料夹层与两个半无限域均匀介质完全粘合,其弹性模量沿厚度方向变化．采用基于层状材料广义Kelvin基本解的边界元方法分析裂纹问题,给出了均布正应力和剪应力作用下裂纹的应力强度因子、将应力强度因子耦合于应变能密度断裂判据,讨论了裂纹体在拉伸应力作用下的起裂条件．     

Failure instability of a debonded interface in the presence of a main crack

The problem of fracture initiating from an edge crack in a nonhomogeneous beam made of two dissimilar linear elastic materials that are partially bonded along a common interface is studied by the strain energy density theory. The beam is subjected to three-point bending and the unbonded part of the interface is symmetrically located with regard to the applied loading. The applied load acts on the stiffer material, while the edge crack lies in the softer material. Fracture initiation from the tip of the edge crack and global instability of the composite beam are studied by considering both the local and global stationary values of the strain energy density function, dW/dV. A length parameter l defined by the relative distance between the maximum of the local and global minima of dW/dV is determined for evaluating the stability of failure initiation by fracture. Predictions on critical loads for fracture initiation from the tip of the edge crack, crack trajectories and fracture instability are made. In the analysis the load, the length of the edge crack and the length and position of the interfacial crack remained unchanged. The influence of the ratio of the moduli of elasticity of the two materials, the position of the edge crack and the width of the stiffer material on the local and global instability of the beam was examined. A general trend is that the critical load for crack initiation and fracture instability is enhanced as the width and the modulus of elasticity of the stiffer material increase. Thus, the stiffer material acts as a barrier in load transfer.     

Sufficient criterion of fracture in the case with a complex stress state and non-proportional deformation of the material in the pre-fracture zone

A general case of proportional loading with a complex stress state of the material in the pre-fracture zone, which is typical for polycrystalline solids with plastic deformation, is considered. A sufficient criterion of fracture is proposed for the case of a complex stress state with non-proportional deformation of the material in the pre-fracture zone. Critical parameters of fracture (pre-fracture zone length and load) for cracks propagating in quasi-brittle materials are obtained with the use of a modified Leonov-Panasyuk-Dugdale model. The pre-fracture zone width is determined by solving the problem of the plasticity theory in the vicinity of the crack tip. The proposed modification of the Leonov-Panasyuk-Dugdale model makes it possible to estimate the critical opening of the crack and the critical displacement of the crack flanks. Inequalities that describe different mechanisms of material fracture under proportional loading (predominantly shear fracture mechanism and fracture mechanism through cleavage) are derived.     

Arrestment of cracks in plane extension by local reinforcements

Crack stoppers ahead of an edge crack in panels under tensile load are analyzed. They consist of rectangular and semi-annular patches placed symmetrically on both sides of the panel and at a finite distance ahead of the crack tip. Depending on this distance, the predicted crack path could remain straight or curve. Moreover, the crack could either be arrested or run through the reinforcements. Such a behavior can be determined from the local and global stationary value of the strain energy density function. The degree of instability is reflected by an index parameter that accounts for the effect of load, geometry and material.Edge crack plexiglass specimens were made by reinforcing them with steel and aluminum patches placed at different distance from the crack. For sufficiently low local energy intensity, the crack would run straight and arrest at the patch regardless of the other variables. As the local energy intensity is increased, crack would tend to curve and lead to complete fracture of the patched specimens. This is equivalent to moving the patch closer to the crack tip. The test results agree well with the predictions made from the strain energy density theory.     

Fatigue crack growth retardation assessment of 2024-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminium specimens

A fatigue crack growth retardation model is developed. It considers a strip plastic zone with material hardening effect which is taken as one of the basic mechanisms controlling fatigue crack growth. Crack growth is treated incrementally and corresponds to the failure of material elements ahead of an existing crack after a certain critical number of low cycle fatigue. Computed curves are correlated to test data obtained from the 2024-T3 and 6061-T6 aluminium specimens. Deviations from test data increase with increasing crack length.     

Effect of strain rate on crack growth in aluminum alloy 1100-0

Stress and damage analysis are performed to analyze the Mode I crack growth behavior of a central crack panel made of aluminum alloy 1100-0. On account of the highly nonhomogeneous stress state, each material element would experience a different strain rate depending on the location and loading rate. A data bank of uniaxial stress and strain curves is provided to cover the range local strain rates depending on the load time history. Such a approach is referred to as the strain rate dependent model in contrast to plasticity that utilizes a single constitutive relation.The strain energy density criterion is applied to determine the onset of crack initiation, stable crack growth and final termination. A unique feature of the approach is that the same criterion could describe the foregoing three distinct events of fracture behavior. Results are obtained for applied loads with different strain rates and compared with those obtained from the classical theory of plasticity, which is unconservative.     

脆性固体中内聚断裂点阵列的扩张行为及间隔影响

建立一个一维模型, 分析脆性材料中多个等间距虚拟断裂点在均匀应变率拉伸作用下的扩张断裂过程. 采用线弹性波动方程组描述材料内部动力学关系, 采用线性内聚力断裂模型(linear cohesive fracture model)描述虚拟断裂点的扩张行为, 根据初始均匀拉伸条件和虚拟裂纹等间距假设给出定解条件, 形成一个初边值问题. 采用Laplace变换方法求解控制方程组, 得到虚拟断裂点扩张过程中内聚应力随时间变化曲线, 以及发生完全断裂的临界时间和单位裂纹体(碎片)的临界膨胀位移. 在此基础上分析应变率和裂纹间距对碎裂发生时间及单元裂纹体临界膨胀位移的影响. 在假设脆性材料在自然碎裂过程中单元裂纹体临界膨胀位移最小的基础上,进一步研究应变率对碎片尺度的影响.      

A model of debonding instability for solid propellant rocket motor: Part I - Uniform longitudinal and transverse stress rate

The interface between a soft and a hard material is vulnerable to debonding because of the prevailing high stress gradient that could be further aggravated under dynamic transient conditions. Such a situation is common in a solid-fuel rocket motor where unstable debonding could be triggered from the initiation of a macrocrack near the interface. The transition from a survival state to a failure state requires knowledge of how the nonlinear, dissipative and nonhomogeneous effects of the dissimilar material interface would interact with load.The solid-fuel rocket motor problem is modeled by a three-layered composite system made of steel, adhesive and rubber under plane extension. Assessed are the time dependent nonhomogeneous deformation and possible failure modes. Only initial properties of the materials were used to determine the evolution of nonequilibrium response. This is made possible by application of the isoenergy density theory that accounts for internal heat generation and energy dissipation effects. Results are presented in two parts. In Part 1, the applied stress rates are assumed to be 0.75 ksi/s in both the longitudinal and transverse direction while Part II assumes different stress rates in these two directions. At approximately one second after loading, a slanted but straight macrocrack of about 5 × 10⁻³ in. is predicted to occur in the rubber next to the interface. This initial crack was found to become unstable at eight seconds and was estimated to be close to the adhesive/rubber interface over a length of 1.88 in. The onset of fracture depended directly on the load transient behavior.     

Evolution of nanoscale defects to planar cracks in a brittle solid

Fracture of a solid is a highly multiscale process that associates atomic scale bond breaking with macroscopic crack propagation, and the process can be dramatically influenced by the presence of defects in materials. In a nanomaterial, defect formation energy decreases with the reduction of material size, and therefore, the role of defects in crack formation and subsequent crack growth in such materials may not be understood from the classical laws of fracture mechanism. In this study, we investigated the crack formation process of a defective (with missing atoms) nanostructured material (NaCl) using a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. It was demonstrated that simple defects in the form of several missing atoms in the material could develop into a planar crack. Subsequently, MD simulations on failures of nanosized NaCl with pre-defined planar atomistic cracks of two different lengths under prescribed tensile displacement loads were performed. These failure loads were then applied on the equivalent continuum models, separately, to evaluate the associated fracture toughness values using the finite element analysis. For small cracks, the fracture toughness thus obtained is cracksize dependent and the corresponding critical energy release rate is significantly smaller than Griffith’s theoretical value. Explanation for this discrepancy between LEFM and the atomistic model was attempted.     

LC4—M材料复合型韧断主要影响因素的分析

通过分析LC4－M铝合金材料在不同复合比载荷下的断裂试验结果,参照常规断裂现象,修正了一般断裂试验中认定裂纹启裂方向的方法,结合不同复合比下裂尖附近应力三维、主应力方向的计算分析,得到：在裂端的钝化变形区域、应力三维度的极大值处,对应于裂纹的启裂位置,即使在高韧性材料中发生剪切断裂的情况下也是如此;裂纹的启裂方向在拉伸断裂时与启裂点最大拉应力方向有关,在剪切断裂时启裂点最大剪应力方向有关,引起两种形式断裂的主要因数和破坏机理有很大不同。     

Influence of aggregate size on fracture toughness of concrete

Employing an extension of the splitting tensile by using a notched cylinder specimen, we have studied effects of initial notch length and maximum aggregate size on fracture toughness of concrete. Experimental results show that maximum aggregate size does influence ductility, with increasingly ductile behavior associated with increasing aggregate size. The results also support previous work in that initial notch length and maximum load do not yield a constant value for fracture toughness, whereas maximum linear load and initial notch length minimize the effects of slow crack growth and do produce a more constant value.     

Rate dependent critical strain energy density factor of Huanglong limestone

Critical strain energy density of rock can be defined as a fundamental parameter in rock fracture mechanics, an intrinsic material property related to resistance to crack initiation and propagation. By means of the three-point bending experiments, the critical strain energy density factor of Huanglong limestone was measured over a wide range of loading rates from 8.97 × 10⁻⁴ MPam^1/2 s⁻¹ to 1.545 MPam^1/2 s⁻¹. According to the approximate relationship between static and dynamic critical strain energy density factor of Huanglong limestone, relationship between the growth velocity of crack and magnitude of load is obtained. The main conclusions are summarized as follows: (1) when the loading rate is higher than 0.0279 MPam^1/2 s⁻¹, the critical strain energy density factor of rock increased markedly with increasing loading rate. However, when loading rate is lower than 0.0279 MPam^1/2 s⁻¹, the critical strain energy density factor slightly increased with an increase in loading rate. It is found from experimental results that the critical strain energy density factor is linear proportional to the exponential expression of loading rate, (2) for Huanglong limestone, when the growth velocity of crack is lower than 100 m/s, value of the maximum load was nearly a constant. However, when the growth velocity of crack is higher than 1000 m/s, value of the maximum load dramatically increases with increasing the crack growth velocity, and (3) the critical SED of Huanglong limestone is higher as the loading rate is higher.     

Nonlinear interface shear fracture of end notched flexure specimens

The nonlinear analytical solutions of an end notched flexure adhesive joint or fracture test specimen with identical or dissimilar adherends are investigated. In the current study, a cohesive zone model (with arbitrary nonlinear cohesive laws) based analytical solution is obtained for the interface shear fracture of an end notched flexure (ENF) specimen with sufficiently long bond length. It is found that the scatter and inconsistency in calculating Mode II toughness may be significantly reduced by this model. The present work indicates that the Mode II toughness G_IIc under pure shear cracking condition is indeed very weakly dependent on the initial crack length. And this conclusion is well supported by the experimental results found in the literature. The parametric studies show that the interface shear strength is the most dominant parameter on the critical load. It is also interesting to note that with very short initial crack length and identical interface shear strength, higher Mode II toughness indeed cannot increase the critical load. Unlike the high insensitivity of critical load to the detailed shape of the cohesive law for Mode I peel fracture, the shape of the cohesive law becomes relatively important for the critical load of joints under pure Mode II fracture conditions, especially for joints with short initial crack length. The current study may help researchers deepen the understanding of interface shear fracture and clarify some previous concepts on this fracture mode.     

可压缩条件下超弹性电子封装材料中孔穴的增长问题

考虑了温度改变对高聚物材料体积变化的影响,将材料的不可压缩假定修正为可压缩假定。对具有neo-Hookea特征的高聚物电子封装材料在回流焊过程中由于湿热所引发的“爆米花”式的孔穴破裂现象进行了理论研究。利用有限变形的理论给出此类材料在计及体积改变效应下的孔穴增长和吸湿产生的蒸气压力与热应力之间的广义解析关系。该广义解析关系包含了不可压缩条件下的解析关系。分析结果表明：当温度改变引起的可压缩效应较大时,利用可压缩假定分析得到的极限载荷值与利用不可压缩假定分析得到的极限载荷值相比有所提高。但当温度改变引起的可压缩效应较小时,利用两种假定分析得到的极限载荷值相差不大。在温度变化范围不大的情况下,采用不可压缩的假定是合理的。