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FATIGUE ANALYSIS OF SURFACE CRACKS AT FILLET WELDED TOES
Author(s) -
Pang H. L. J.,
Gray T. G. F.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fatigue and fracture of engineering materials and structures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.887
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1460-2695
pISSN - 8756-758X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-2695.1993.tb00750.x
Subject(s) - fillet (mechanics) , fillet weld , materials science , welding , structural engineering , stress concentration , finite element method , composite material , paris' law , crack closure , fracture mechanics , engineering
This paper reports a study of fatigue crack growth and coalescing behaviour at semi‐elliptical cracks in the stress concentration region of steel plates with fillet shoulders or fillet welds. Fatigue tests were carried out on machined plate specimens with a fillet geometry similar to a fillet welded joint. These specimens were notched and precracked to provide single and multiple coplanar semi‐elliptical surface cracks at the fillet toe region. Finite element stress analysis results were used to obtain approximate Mk factors (i.e.: stress concentration magnification factors) for the fillet toe geometry with a semi‐elliptical surface crack. An analytical model was developed to simulate crack shape development and growth to failure in the case of multiple coplanar semi‐elliptical cracks. In this model, a simple crack coalescing procedure is applied to merge coplanar cracks when they meet by recharacterising the coplanar cracks into a single semi‐elliptical crack. Alternative crack growth laws were investigated and comparisons made between actual and predicted shape developments and lives.