Meshless analysis of plasticity with application to crack growth problems

The governing equations for classical rate-independent plasticity are formulated in the framework of meshless method. The special J₂ flow theory for three-dimensional, two-dimensional plane strain and plane stress problems are presented. The numerical procedures, including return mapping algorithm, to obtain the solutions of boundary-value problems in computational plasticity are outlined. For meshless analysis the special treatment of the presence of barriers and mirror symmetries is formulated. The crack growth process in elastic–plastic solid under plane strain and plane stress conditions is analyzed. Numerical results are presented and discussed.     

Elastic–plastic near field solution of an eccentric crack under shear in a finite width plate

The near crack line analysis method is used to investigate an eccentric crack loaded by shear forces in a finite width plate, and the analytical solution is obtained in this paper. The solution includes: the unit normal vector of the elastic–plastic boundary near the crack line, the elastic–plastic stress fields near crack line, variations of the length of the plastic zone along the crack line with an external loads, and the bearing capacity of a finite plate with a centric crack loaded by shear stress in the far field. The results obtained in this paper are sufficiently precise near the crack line because the assumptions of small scale yielding theory have not been made and no other assumptions have been taken. Subsequently, the present results are compared with the traditional line elastic fracture mechanical solutions and elastoplastic near field solutions under small scale yielding condition. On the basis of the minimum strain energy density (SED) theory, the minimum values of SED in the vicinity of the crack tip are determined, the initial growth orientation of crack are determined. It is found that the normalized load under large scale yielding condition is higher than those under small scale yielding condition when the length of the plastic zone is the same.     

The stress field near the front of an arbitrarily shaped crack in a three-dimensional elastic body

The problem stated in the title is investigated with special emphasis on the first three terms of the stress expansion, proportional to r ^-1/2, r ⁰=1 and r ^1/2 respectively, where r denotes the distance to the crack front. The particular case of a plane crack with a straight front and of stresses independent of the distance along the latter is studied first. It is shown that the classical plane strain and antiplane solutions must be supplemented by a few additional particular solutions to obtain the full stress expansion. The general case is then considered. The stress expansion is studied by writing the field equations (equilibrium, strain compatibility and boundary conditions) in a system of suitable curvilinear coordinates. It is shown that the number of independent constants in the stress expansion is the same as in the particular case considered previously but that the curvatures of the crack and its front and the non-uniformity of the stresses along the latter induce the appearance of corrective terms in this expansion.     

J-integral and crack driving force in elastic–plastic materials

This paper discusses the crack driving force in elastic–plastic materials, with particular emphasis on incremental plasticity. Using the configurational forces approach we identify a “plasticity influence term” that describes crack tip shielding or anti-shielding due to plastic deformation in the body. Standard constitutive models for finite strain as well as small strain incremental plasticity are used to obtain explicit expressions for the plasticity influence term in a two-dimensional setting. The total dissipation in the body is related to the near-tip and far-field J-integrals and the plasticity influence term. In the special case of deformation plasticity the plasticity influence term vanishes identically whereas for rigid plasticity and elastic-ideal plasticity the crack driving force vanishes. For steady state crack growth in incremental elastic–plastic materials, the plasticity influence term is equal to the negative of the plastic work per unit crack extension and the total dissipation in the body due to crack propagation and plastic deformation is determined by the far-field J-integral. For non-steady state crack growth, the plasticity influence term can be evaluated by post-processing after a conventional finite element stress analysis. Theory and computations are applied to a stationary crack in a C(T)-specimen to examine the effects of contained, uncontained and general yielding. A novel method is proposed for evaluating J-integrals under incremental plasticity conditions through the configurational body force. The incremental plasticity near-tip and far-field J-integrals are compared to conventional deformational plasticity and experimental J-integrals.     

Mode I and mode II crack tip asymptotic fields with strain gradient effects

The strain gradient effect becomes significant when the size of fracture process zone around a crack tip is comparable to the intrinsic material lengthl, typically of the order of microns. Using the new strain gradient deformation theory given by Chen and Wang, the asymptotic fields near a crack tip in an elastic-plastic material with strain gradient effects are investigated. It is established that the dominant strain field is irrotational. For mode I plane stress crack tip asymptotic field, the stress asymptotic field and the couple stress asymptotic field can not exist simultaneously. In the stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the classical plane stress HRR field; In the couple stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of couple stresses are consistent with that obtained by Huang et al. For mode II plane stress and plane strain crack tip asymptotic fields, only the stress-dominated asymptotic fields exist. The couple stress asymptotic field is less singular than the stress asymptotic fields. The stress asymptotic fields are the same as mode II plane stress and plane strain HRR fields, respectively. The increase in stresses is not observed in strain gradient plasticity for mode I and mode II, because the present theory is based only on the rotational gradient of deformation and the crack tip asymptotic fields are irrotational and dominated by the stretching gradient. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19704100), National Natural Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJ951-1-20), CAS K.C. Wong Post-doctoral Research Award Fund and Post-doctoral Science Fund of China     

Effect of constraint induced by crack depth on creep crack-tip stress field in CT specimens

In this paper, the effect of constraint induced by the crack depth on creep crack-tip stress field in compact tension (CT) specimens is examined by finite element analysis, and the effect of creep deformation and damage on the Hutchinson–Rice–Rosengren (HRR) singularity stress field are discussed. The results show the constraint induced by crack depth causes the difference in crack-tip opening stress distributions between the specimens with different crack depth at the same C*. The maximum opening stress appears at a distance from crack tips, and the stress singularity near the crack tips does not exist due to the crack-tip blunting caused by the large creep deformation in the vicinity of the crack tips. The actual stress calculated by the finite element method (FEM) in front of crack tip is significantly lower than that predicted by the HRR field. Based on the reference stress field in the deep crack CT specimen with high constraint, a new constraint parameter R is defined and the constraint effect in the shallow crack specimen is examined at different distances ahead of the crack tip from transient to steady-state creep conditions. During the early stages of creep constraint increases with time, and then approaches a steady state value as time increases. With increasing the distance from crack tips and applied load, the negative R increases and the constraint decreases.     

Stress across an elastoplastic boundary of a mode I crack: parabolic to hyperbolic plasticity transition

In previous work, the stresses of a mode I elastic–plastic fracture mechanics problem were analytically continued across a prescribed elastoplastic boundary for plane stress loading conditions involving a linear elastic/perfectly plastic material obeying the Tresca yield condition. Immediately across the elastic-plastic boundary, a nonlinear parabolic partial differential equation governs the plastic stress field. The present solution deals with stresses extending beyond the parabolic region into the hyperbolic region of the plastic zone. This analytical solution is obtained through a tranformation of the original system of nonlinear partial differential equations into a linear system with constant coefficients. The solution, so obtained, is expressible in terms of elementary transcendental functions. It also exhibits a limiting line which passes through the crack tip. This feature of the solution suggests the formation of a plastic hinge in the material.     

Pseudo plane stress mode II crack growth in plastic materials

The near tip field of mode II crack that grows in thin bodies with power hardening or perfectly plastic behavior is analyzed. It is shown that for power hardening behavior, the pseudo plane stress field possesses the logarithm singularity, i.e. σ (ln r)²/(n−1), (ln r)^{2n/(n − 1)}, where r is the distance from the crack tip, n the hardening exponent is σⁿ. When n → ∞ the solution reduced to that for the perfectly plastic case.     

Effect of rising elastic modulus in surface layer on stress intensity and gradient

The relaxation element method is applied to obtain the stress field around a crack under normal tension. A surface layer is assumed to surround the crack periphery taken to be in the shape of a narrow ellipse. The elastic modulus within this layer increases from zero to the bulk value of the medium outside. Calculations show that the stresses are finite at the crack tip; they reach a maximum in the layer and then decay to the well known solution of Griffith outside the layer. The influence of plastic deformation on the crack front stresses can also be simulated by the surface layer model. Stress concentration at the crack front is found to be lower when plastic deformation takes place. Sharp decay of stress next to the crack is accompanied by increase of local stress gradients. Severity of the local stress fluctuation depends on the width of the crack surface layer.     

Non-local theory solution for in-plane shear of through crack

A non-local theory of elasticity is applied to obtain the plane strain stress and displacement field for a through crack under in-plane shear by using Schmidt's method. Unlike the classical elasticity solution, a lattice parameter enters into the problem that make the stresses finite at crack tip. Both the angular variations of the circumferential stress and strain energy density function are examined to associate their stationary value with locations of possible fracture initiation. The former criterion predicted a crack initiation angle of 54° from the plane of shear for the non-local solution as compared with about 75° for the classical elasticity solution. The latter criterion based on energy density yields a crack initiation angle of 80° for a Poisson's ratio of 0.28. This is much closer to the value that is predicted by the classical crack tips solution of elasticity.     

Near crack line elastic–plastic analysis for a infinite plate loaded by two pairs of point tensile forces

The near crack line analysis method is used to investigate a center crack loaded by two pairs of point tensile forces in an infinite plate in an elastic–perfectly plastic solid, and the analytical solutions are obtained in this paper. These solutions include: the elastic–plastic stress field near the crack line, the law that the length of the plastic zone along the crack line is varied with an external loads and the bearing capacity of an infinite plate with a center crack. The results of this paper are sufficiently precise near the crack line because the assumptions of the small scale yielding theory have not been used and no other assumptions have been taken.     

Elastoplastic deformations of rotating parabolic solid disks using Tresca''s yield criterion

Analytical solutions for the stress distribution in rotating parabolic solid disks are obtained. The analysis is based on Tresca's yield criterion, its associated flow rule and linear strain hardening. It is shown that, the deformation behavior of the convex parabolic disk is similar to that of the uniform thickness disk, but in the case of concave parabolic solid disk, it is different. In the latter, the plastic core consists of three different plastic regions with different mathematical forms of the yield criteria. Accordingly, three different stages of elastic–plastic deformation occur. All these stages of elastic–plastic deformation are studied in detail. It is also shown mathematically that in the limiting case the parabolic disk solution reduces to the solution of rotating uniform thickness solid disk.     

Elastoplastic analysis of nonlinearly hardening variable thickness annular disks under external pressure

Based on von Mises’ yield criterion, deformation theory of plasticity and Swift’s hardening law, elasto-plastic deformation of variable thickness annular disks subjected to external pressure is studied. A nonlinear shooting method using Newton’s iterations with numerically approximated tangent is designed for the solution of the problem. Considering a thickness profile in the form of a general parabolic function, the condition of occurrence of plastic deformation at the inner and outer edges of the annular disk is investigated. A critical disk profile is determined and the corresponding elastic–plastic stresses as well as the residual stress distribution upon removal of the applied pressure are computed and discussed.     

THE EXACT SOLUTIONS OF ELASTIC－PLASTIC CRACK LINE FIELD FOR MODE ⅡPLANE STRESS CRACK

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Crack front curvature effect on stress intensity factor of through and part-through thickness cracks

The character of the local stresses and displacements are determined for a through crack with finite radius of curvature in a finite thickness plate. Numerical results obtained from the boundary element method show that the solutions are sufficiently accurate for /a ≤ 0.03 and 0.03 ≤ /a ≤ 0.1, where and a represent, respectively, the crack front radius of curvature and crack dimension such that a is the width of a through thickness crack and the depth of a part-through crack. For /a ≤ 0.1, the asymptotic singular stress field dominates such that the Mode I stress intensity factor K₁ can be evaluated. As the crack border radius of curvature is increased for /a ≥ 0.1, the non-singular terms become significant such that K_I would no longer dominate. Other failure criteria would have to be invoked to address fracture initiation.     

Study on the coalescence mechanism of splitting failure of crack-weakened rock subjected to compressive loads

It is of important significance to study the coalescence mechanism of splitting failure of crack-weakened rock masses under compressive loads. In this paper, a simplified mechanism of crack propagation, in which the crack grows along the direction of maximum principal compressive stress, is proposed. Thus, only mode I is taken into account in the formulation and solution. On the basis of the near crack line analysis method, the elastic–plastic stress field near the crack line is analyzed, and the law that the length of the plastic zone along the crack line is varied with an external loads have been established by the matching condition of the elastic- plastic fields on the boundary, the coalescence stress and the strength properties of rock masses have been determined. The solution is a function of the geometry of the crack array. The results show that the crack coalescence depends on the crack interface friction coefficient, the sliding crack spacing, orientation of the cracks, and the crack half-length. The conclusions are of important significance for rock mass engineering.     

Crack separation energy-rates for the DBCS model under biaxial modes of loading

A Modified version of the Dugdale-Bilby-Cottrell-Swinden (DBCS) model simulating the effect of plasticity at the tip of a crack in an infinite region was used by kfouri and rice (1978) to calculate the crack separation energy-rate G^Δ corresponding to a finite crack growth step Δa during plane strain mode I crack extension. The loading consisted of a remote uniaxial tension σp applied normally to the plane of the crack. Using Rice's path-independent integral J to characterize the applied load in the crack tip region, and assuming the length R of the crack tip plastic zone to be small compared with the length of the crack, an analytical expression was derived relating the ratios (J/G^Δ) and (2a/R) for small values of (2a/R). The analytical solution was incomplete in itself in that the value assumed in the plastic region of the DBCS model for the normal stress Y acting on the extending crack surfaces was the product of the yield stress in uniaxial tension σ_Y and an unknown parameter C, the value of which depends on the effect of the local hydrostatic stresses in the case of plane strain conditions. The analytical solution was compared with a numerical solution obtained from a plane strain elastic-plastic finite element analysis on a centre-cracked plate (CCP) of material obeying the von Mises yield criterion. The value used for the yield stress was 310 MN/m² and moderate isotropic linear hardening was applied with a tangent modulus of 4830 MN/m². A uniaxial tension σp was applied on the two appropriate sides of the plate. The comparisons showed that the analytical and finite element solutions were mutually consistent and they enabled the value of C to be established at 1.91. In the present paper similar comparisons are made between the analytical solution and the finite element solutions for the CCP of the same material under different biaxial modes of loading. By assuming further that the form of the analytical solution does not depend on the details of the geometry and of the loading at remote boundaries, a comparison has also been made with the results of a finite element analysis on a compact tension specimen (CTS) made of the same material as the CCP. The different values of C obtained in each case are consistent with investigations by other authors on the effect of load biaxiality on crack tip plasticity.     

Plasticity aspects of interfacial fracture for polymer/glass specimens

Experimental results suggest that the interfacial fracture resistance is minimal for approximate near tip Mode I accompanied by positive and negative near tip Mode II. Finite-strain FE analysis is made for an elastic–plastic medium bonded to an ideally elastic medium with an interface crack. Small-scale plasticity conditions are invoked and examined in relation to the elastic–plastic stress distribution along the bond line. Plasticity engenders a tendency to turn near tip biaxiality towards pure Mode I regardless of the mixed-mode loading. High levels of hydrostatic stress are attained. For different mode mixities of the applied load, the dependence of the elastic–plastic normal bond stress on load level is examined. It is found that under positive Mode II loading, the normal bond stress σ_yy tends to saturate as the load level rises. This does not occur for Mode I and negative Mode II loading. In addition, deformation patterns inside the plastic zone are examined for mixed-mode situations. A displacement criterion based on the normal bond crack opening suggests a dependence of the critical load level on the extent of mixed mode. Under positive mode II fracture, traces of the ductile material are found at the top of the elastic substrate. Some of these conclusions appear to be consistent with the fracture patterns observed for LD-polyethylene/glass interfacial mixed-mode fracture.     

Influence of singularity dominated zone for propagating cracks in finite size specimens

The singularity dominated zones for straight as well as curved cracks propagating in finite size specimens were determined experimentally by using the optical method of dynamic photoelasticity using the near-field stress equations. Experimental data was carefully analyzed using improved numerical schemes to get the complete stress field around the propagating crack. This stress field was critically examined to evaluate the size of singularity dominated zones for cracks propagating in straight as well as curved paths. For this purpose, the exact solution was compared with the singular solution using stress components σ_x, σ_y, τ_xy and the maximum shear stress τ_max as a criterion respectively. For straight cracks where the stress field is symmetric about the crack path, the singularity dominated zones can be determined by using any one of the stresses. However, for a curved crack, the zones were unsymmetric. This study shows that σ_y, the crack opening stress, yields the best result for characterizing the singularity dominated zone around a running crack tip.