ON STRESS CONCENTRATION FACTOR AND DEFINITIONS OF A CRACK AND STRESS INTENSITY FACTOR

The common assumption that the stress is infinite at the tip of an in-plane crack is inconsistent with the basic historical solutions for stress for cases from which crack formulae have been evolved. The latter formulae do not satisfy boundary conditions. An appropriate definition of a crack, as does one presented here, should make it obvious that such conditions are to be fulfilled and when they are, the meaning of stress intensity factor as the coefficient of a 1/(square root of r) singularity is altered. It no longer represents an infinity of stress and its connection with actual failure stress through a stress concentration factor leads to a fixed, rather than experimental, connection between Modes I and II stress intensity factors. Further discussion of appropriate representations of cracks for shear and normal stress loading is warranted, as well as of toughness definition consistent with failure mechanisms and with elastic-plastic solutions for stress. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center

  Watertown, MA  United States  02172
• Authors:
  • Beeuwkes, R J
• Publication Date: 1977-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 29 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Boundary value problems; Cracking; Deformation curve; Failure; Fracture mechanics; Stresses; Structural analysis
• Uncontrolled Terms: Stress concentration
• Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00166014
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: AMMRC-MS-77-3 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 20 1977 12:00AM