The effect of intermittent heating on fatigue crack growth

The effects on fatigue crack growth of the application of heat treatment with and without an applied load are discussed. The investigation indicates that when heat treatment is performed simultaneously with an applied load, compressive residual stress will be introduced resulting in better resistance to fatigue crack initiation and growth.Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on single-edge-cracked plates. The fatigue life and crack growth rate for plates with no heat treatment and plates with heat treatment under zero stress are similar. However, for plates with heat treatment carried out under a static load equal to the maximum in the fatigue cycle, the fatigue life increased by 40% and the crack growth rate immediately after heat treatment decreased by 65%.     

Experimental studies on the effect of overload on fatigue crack growth

The fatigue crack growth behavior resulting from a single overload is investigated. In order to clarify the mechanism of overload on fatigue crack growth, the processes of crack closure and opening and their stress levels are monitored by strain gages placed on the back surface of specimens, and the fracture surface morphologies are examined by the microfractography. Experimental results may be used to explain quantitatively the mechanisms of retardation and delayed retardation after a single overload.     

Numerical and experimental determination of three-dimensional multiple crack growth in fatigue

This work is concerned with the assessment of propagation of multiple fatigue cracks in three-dimensions. Computational modelling of fatigue crack propagation is made together with detection and monitoring of the crack shape development. The boundary element method (BEM) is used for automating the modelling of crack propagation in linear elastic as well as elastic–plastic regimes. Strain at several positions on the specimen surface near the crack mouth is measured to monitor crack initiation, shape development and closure levels. Examples are provided to validate the model by comparing the experimental results with those obtained by numerical predictions.     

One model of fatigue crack growth

A model for crack growth is proposed based on studies of the variation in the curvature radius at the crack tip during cyclic loading. Relations are obtained between mechanical material characteristics, crack geometry, and the rate of crack growth in a structure under cyclic loading. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 167–175, July–August, 2009.     

Electric-field-induced fatigue crack growth in ferroelectric ceramics

Electric-field-induced fatigue crack growth in pre-cracked PZT ferroelectric ceramics is experimentally investigated in this work. It is found that the crack open and close under an alternating electric field is a major mechanism of crack propagation. The experimental results also show that the frequency, waveform, as well as the amplitude ratio, of the electric loading, play important roles in electric-field-induced fatigue cracking. Empirical formulations of fatigue crack propagation rates are obtained based on the experimental results. It is revealed that the crack grows at a nearly constant rate when the loading frequency is below 100 Hz. However, with the increase of the loading frequency over 125 Hz, the crack propagation rate diminishes rapidly.     

疲劳裂纹扩展寿命的可靠性及灵敏度分析

将影响结构疲劳裂纹扩展寿命的不确定因素视为随机变量,用随机有限元和可靠性分析理论,从概率论和数理统计的角度出发对含裂纹平面结构的断裂过程进行了可靠性分析。通过疲劳裂纹扩展寿命可靠度对随机变量的灵敏度分析,可以看出不同因素对疲劳裂纹扩展寿命可靠度影响的差别很大。     

Modeling of fatigue crack growth from a notch

When a fatigue crack is nucleated and propagates into the vicinity of the notch, the crack growth rate is generally higher than that can be expected by using the stress intensity factor concept. The current study attempted to describe the crack growth at notches quantitatively with a detailed consideration of the cyclic plasticity of the material. An elastic–plastic finite element analysis was conducted to obtain the stress and strain histories of the notched component. A single multiaxial fatigue criterion was used to determine the crack initiation from the notch and the subsequent crack growth. Round compact specimens made of 1070 steel were subjected to Mode I cyclic loading with different R-ratios at room temperature. The approach developed was able to quantitatively capture the crack growth behavior near the notch. When the R-ratio was positive, the crack growth near a notch was mainly influenced by the plasticity created by the notch and the resulted fatigue damage during crack initiation. When the R-ratio was negative, the contact of the cracked surfaces during a part of a loading cycle reduced the cyclic plasticity of the material near the crack tip. The combined effect of notch plasticity and possible contact of cracked surface were responsible for the observed crack growth phenomenon near a notch.     

Three-dimensional transverse fatigue crack growth in rail head

Results are given in terms of crack growth area and tonnage of train load. A three-dimensional finite element procedure is developed for analyzing multiple-mode transverse fatigue crack growth in a rail section. Stress and failure analysis are performed for each increment of non-self-similar crack growth up to the point of global instability that is assumed to be governed by the fracture toughness of the rail steel. The strain energy density criterion is adopted to predict the crack profiles developed from a two-stage fatigue loading cycle where both Mode I and III crack extension are present. Use is made of the material data obtained from the past and present TSC programs for predicting the remaining life of a 132 lb/ft rail head with an initial transverse circular crack of 0.50 in. in diameter. The number of cycles to failure are estimated for four different vertical load and initial crack positions.     

A technique to measure fatigue crack growth threshold

An experimental technique for determining fatigue crack growth threshold is presented. This experimental technique uses an increasing ΔK step loading procedure to determine threshold going from a no-growth to growth status. Stress relief annealing of the Ti-6AI-4V test specimens eliminates load history effects normally associated with the precrack, providing a measurement equivalent to what is achieved by a standard ASTM load shed test. In addition to measuring load history free thresholds, this increasing ΔK technique can be used to investigate different load history effects on threshold by using the threshold step measurement with different precrack histories and without the subsequent annealing process. Verification of the threshold step measurement is demonstrated by comparing measurements with standard ATSM load shed testing results.     

A cohesive zone model for fatigue crack growth allowing for crack retardation

A damage-based cohesive model is developed for simulating crack growth due to fatigue loading. The cohesive model follows a linear damage-dependent traction–separation relation coupled with a damage evolution equation. The rate of damage evolution is characterized by three material parameters corresponding to common features of fatigue behavior captured by the model, namely, damage accumulation, crack retardation and stress threshold. Good agreement is obtained between finite element solutions using the model and fatigue test results for an aluminum alloy under different load ratios and for the overload effect on ductile 316 L steel.     

SGBEM modeling of fatigue crack growth in particulate composites

The symmetric-Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) has previously been employed to model 2-D crack growth in particulate composites under quasi-static loading conditions. In this paper, an initial attempt is made in extending the simulation technique to analyze the interaction between a growing crack and clusters of perfectly bonded particles in a brittle matrix under cyclic loading conditions. To this end, linear elastic fracture mechanics and no hysteresis are assumed. Of particular interest is the role clusters of inclusions play on the fatigue life of particulate composites. The simulations employ a fatigue crack growth prediction tool based upon the SGBEM for multiregions, a modified quarter-point crack-tip element, the displacement correlation technique for evaluating stress intensity factors, a Paris law for fatigue crack growth rates, and the maximum principal stress criterion for crack-growth direction. The numerical results suggest that this fatigue crack growth prediction tool is as robust as the quasi-static crack growth prediction tool previously developed. The simulations also show a complex interplay between a propagating crack and an inclusion cluster of different densities when it comes to predicting the fatigue life of particulate composites with various volume fractions.     

Analysis of short crack growth from microscopic fatigue properties

Successful simulation of kinetics of small fatigue crack growth entails three aspects: Stage I, Stage II growth rate prediction and transition prediction. In this paper attention is focused on growth rate predictions. By using microstructurally-affected-zone and process zone concepts, microscopic fatigue behaviour of small fatigue crack propagation is logically linked with macroscopic fatigue behaviour, showing an intrinsic relation between small fatigue crack growth and macroscopic low-cycle fatigue properties during crack growth. Furthermore, variation of relatively big plastic zone size associated with a growing small fatigue crack is kinetically simulated. As a result a quantitative prediction model of growth rates for Stage I and Stage II growth has been developed whose explicit advantage is that the growth rate of small fatigue crack can now be predicted in terms of bulk fatigue properties in conjunction with local microstructural characteristics.     

The effect of contact stress intensity factors on fatigue crack propagation

Using the technique of Dimensional Analysis the phenomenon of crack closure is modelled using the concept of a contact stress intensity factor Kc. For constant amplitude loading, a simple expression, Kc_max = g(R) ΔK, is obtained without making idealized assumptions concerning crack tip behaviour. Further, by assuming that crack closure arises from the interaction of residual plasticity in the wake of the crack and crack tip compressive stresses, the function g(R) is shown to be constant for non-workhardening materials. This implies that any dependency of Kc_max on R must be attributed to the workhardening characteristic of the material. With Kc known, an “effective” stress intensity factor Ke may be calculated and incorporated into a crack growth law of the form da/dn = f(ΔKe). From analysis, it can be deduced that for a workhardening material, Kc_max will decrease as R increases and the effective stress intensity factor will increase. This means that the fatigue crack propagation rate will increase with R, in accordance with experimental observations.     

A generalized Paris’ law for fatigue crack growth

An extension of the celebrated Paris law for crack propagation is given to take into account some of the deviations from the power-law regime in a simple manner using the Wöhler SN curve of the material, suggesting a more general “unified law”. In particular, using recent proposals by the first author, the stress intensity factor K(a) is replaced with a suitable mean over a material/structural parameter length scale Δa, the “fracture quantum”. In practice, for a Griffith crack, this is seen to correspond to increasing the effective crack length of Δa, similarly to the Dugdale strip-yield models. However, instead of including explicitly information on cyclic plastic yield, short-crack behavior, crack closure, and all other detailed information needed to eventually explain the SN curve of the material, we include directly the SN curve constants as material property. The idea comes as a natural extension of the recent successful proposals by the first author to the static failure and to the infinite life envelopes. Here, we suggest a dependence of this fracture “quantum” on the applied stress range level such that the correct convergence towards the Wöhler-like regime is obtained. Hence, the final law includes both Wöhler's and Paris’ material constants, and can be seen as either a generalized Wöhler's SN curve law in the presence of a crack or a generalized Paris’ law for cracks of any size.     

Computer-controlled elastic-plastic fatigue crack growth testing using multi-task programming

Experimental Techniques - The automated test system for computer-controlled low-cycle fatigue crack growth can be achieved using multi-task programming. The results of constant ΔJ test show...     

Subcritical and fatigue crack growth in anti-plane strain state

Assuming elastic-plastic material behavior the slow growth of Mode III crack under both monotonic and pulsating loadings is considered. Rice's idea of universal R-curve is employed while the mathematical analysis is based on the one-dimensional plasticity model suggested by Kostrov and Nikitin. Motion of a quasi-static Mode III crack is studied and the stable/unstable transition points are found through application of the final stretch failure condition proposed in 1972 by Wnuk. A logarithmic formula for fatigue crack extension rate is derived. Results are compared to other well-known solutions.     

A NEW CYCLIC J-INTEGRAL FOR LOW-CYCLE FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH

The constitutive equation under the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) was discussed, and a two-dimensional (2-D) model for simulating fatigue crack extension was put forward in order to propose a new cyclic J-integral. The definition, primary characteristics, physical interpretations and numerical evaluation of the new parameter were investigated in detail. Moreover, the new cyclic J-integral for LCF behaviors was validated by the compact tension (CT) specimens. Results show that the calculated values of the new parameter can correlate well with LCF crack growth rate, during constant-amplitude loading. In addition, the phenomenon of fatigue retardation was explained through the viewpoint of energy based on the concept of the new parameter.     

基于多因素的焊接结构疲劳裂纹扩展速率分析

以Donahue等提出的疲劳裂纹扩展速率计算模型为基础,通过引入形状系数、张开比和残余应力等参数,建立了适用于焊接结构的疲劳裂纹扩展速率计算模型,分析了多种因素对焊接结构疲劳裂纹扩展速率的影响规律。结果表明,焊板厚度和焊缝余高的变化均会对焊接结构疲劳裂纹的扩展速率产生影响,在对焊接结构表面形状进行设计时应保有一定的焊缝余高;有效应力比的增大会降低焊接结构疲劳裂纹的扩展速率,且裂纹深度的变化不会改变有效应力比对焊接结构疲劳裂纹扩展速率的影响;残余应力的增大会提高焊接结构疲劳裂纹的扩展速率,且残余应力对疲劳裂纹扩展速率的促进作用随着裂纹深度的增加而增大,在对焊接结构的疲劳性能进行设计时须考虑残余应力对结构性能的影响。     

Influence of load amplitude and uniaxial tensile properties on fatigue crack growth

The rate at which energy is accumulated within a unit volume of material in fatigue is assumed to depend not only on load-time history but also on the specimen size and geometry in addition to material type. A threshold level for the hysteresis strain energy density function accumulated in the material is used for predicting macrocrack growth. This is accomplished by application of the incremental theory of plasticity for each increment of crack growth. The accumulated hysteresis strain energy density factor ΔS to crack growth increment Δa ratio is found to be constant for fixed specimen size and loading, i.e., . Results are obtained for the cylindrical bar specimens with a penny-shaped defect at the center subjected to a constant amplitude and frequency loading. The resistance curves in the ΔS versus Δa plot are parallel lines as specimen size is altered. This information provides a rational means for predicting the influence of specimen size on fatigue lifetime.The results are also compared with those found for geometrically similar plate specimens with line cracks. Cylinder bar specimens of the same material are found to sustain more load cycles prior to catastrophic failure.