A J-Integral Analysis to Fracture Toughness of Plates Containing Surface Cracks

Abstract

The J-integral approach was applied to plates containing surface flaws type of cracks. The experimental procedure followed in this investigation was based on a proposed method by Begley and Landes that utilizes a resistance “R” type curve to find a critical value of J for specimens containing straight cracks. Furthermore, the Begley-Landes procedure was modified to consider the incremental growth of the crack frontal area due to static loading. An interpolation process was used for estimating average values of Jc and Kc for crack geometries which lie between those obtained experimentally. Moreover, a shape correction factor was obtained which shows the dependence of the average value of the stress intensity factor, Kc , on the crack geometry and the relative crack-to-specimen dimensions.