NEW LIGHT ON WEIBULL THEORY

In 1939 Weibull applied weakest link theory to the interpretation of the variability of fracture stress of nominally identical specimens. He attributed this variation to the presence of sources of weakness, or flaws, that were given a strength, but no other physical properties. Accordingly, his theory rests primarily on the statistics of extreme values. It is now generally believed that the most important sources of weakness are microcracks. Thus an ideal statistical theory of fracture must take into account of fracture mechanics and material microstructure. Present paper outlines recent progress along these lines, and shows how the resulting more fundamental theories reduce to Weibull theory when certain simplifing assumptions are made.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Los Angeles

  School of Architecture and Urban Planning
  Los Angeles, CA  United States  90024
• Authors:
  • Batdorf, S B
• Publication Date: 1977-9

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 16 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Defects; Failure; Fracture mechanics; Structural deterioration and defects
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack initiation
• Old TRIS Terms: Statistical failure theory
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00168444
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: University of California, Los Angeles
• Report/Paper Numbers: UCLA-ENG-7762 Tech Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: N00014-76-C-0445
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 16 1978 12:00AM