FATIGUE AND FRACTURE MECHNICS

The application of methods of fracture mechanics to the prediction of fatigue life presupposes the existence of a single flaw of "critical" size the slow propagation of which, under repeated cyclic loading, represents the relevant damage mechanism that governs "fatigue" until the flaw has grown to unstable size. The conditions under which this approach to fatigue provides a reasonable model of real behavior are, however, exactly the conditions that should be avoided by adequate fatigue design. Thus the merit of fracture mechanics with respect to fatigue is not in the realistic modeling of the fatigue process in its various aspects, but in the delimitation of the conditions under which this process approaches the model too closely for purposes of design. The paper discusses the different aspects of the fatigue process in relation to the basic concepts of fracture mechanics.

• Corporate Authors:

  George Washington Transportation Research Institute. Center for Intelligent Systems Research

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Freudenthal, A M
• Publication Date: 1972-5

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 28 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cracking; Fatigue (Mechanics); Fracture mechanics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Crack propagation; Fatigue life
• Old TRIS Terms: Crack formation
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00041382
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Ship Structure Committee
• Report/Paper Numbers: 11 Tech Rpt
• Contract Numbers: N00014-67-A-02140011
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 2 1973 12:00AM