WHAT THE DESIGNER MUST KNOW ABOUT FRACTURE MECHANICS

Traditional design criteria make no attempt to account for the failure mode which is characteristic of a flawed, frangible structure. A design rationale is outlined for brittle and brittle-ductile transition materials which contain flaws caused, for example, by metallurgical inclusions; fabrication and erection overloads, and fatigue cracking. Linear elastic fracture mechanics can be employed successfully for high strength-low toughness materials design. Laboratory test results for critical values of Kc, the stress intensity factor, may be applied to combined load problems by use of the strain-energy-density factor Sc. Design with materials of higher toughness/yield strengh ratios follows essentially the same procedure with a slight modification in interpretation of the fracture toughness parameter. A number of example problems are solved and the results compared with those obtained using the traditional failure criterion.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Copies are $1.00 to ASME members.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Mechanical Engineers

  Two Park Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10016-5990
• Authors:
  • SIH, G C
  • MacDonald, B
• Publication Date: 1973-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 17 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fracture mechanics; Materials science
• Subject Areas: Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00050323
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Report/Paper Numbers: ASME #73-DE-19 Paper
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 24 1976 12:00AM