Numerical and Experimental Determination of Three-Dimensional Multiple Crack Growth in Fatigue

WESSEL, C; CISILINO, A; SANTI, O; OTEGUI, JL; CHAPETTI, M D

Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics

Elsevier Ltd.

Año: 2001 vol. 35 p. 47 - 58

0167-8442

Basis for a modelling tool for the study and assessment of three-dimensional propagation of multiple fatigue cracks are given in this work. The paper introduces numerical tools for the computational modelling of fatigue crack propagation, together with experimental methodologies for the detection and monitoring of the crack shape development. Numerical tools are based on the Boundary Element Method (BEM) and comprise strategies for the automatic modelling of crack propagation in linear elastic as well as elastic plastic regimes. Measurements of strain at several positions on the specimen surface near the crack mouth are used to monitor crack initiation, shape development and closure levels. In order to assess the capabilities of the proposed methodologies a number of validation examples are presented for which experimental results and numerical predictions are compared and analysed