Analysis of interacting semi-elliptical surface cracks in finite thickness plates under remote bending load

• Published in: The International journal of pressure vessels and piping 2005-07, Vol.82 (7), p.528-545
• Main Authors: Sethuraman, Raju, Thanga Ilango, I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Force method; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Interaction semi-elliptical surface cracks; Line spring element; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Physics; Solid mechanics; Steel design; Steel tanks and pressure vessels; boiler manufacturing; Stress intensity factor; Structural and continuum mechanics
• ISSN: 0308-0161; 1879-3541
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpvp.2005.01.001

Interaction effects of two coplanar self-same shallow and deep semi-elliptical surface cracks in finite thickness plates subjected to remote tension have been previously investigated by Sethuraman et al. Using the finite element based force method. In the present study, the effect of remote bending load on interacting semi-elliptical surface cracks in a finite thickness plate is analyzed. Stress intensity factors are evaluated along the entire crack front using a modified force method based on the three-dimensional finite element solution. The line spring model has also been used to evaluate stress intensity factors at the deepest point of a crack using shell finite element analysis. Parametric studies involving a wide ranges of geometric dimensions and crack configurations viz. crack shape aspect ratio (0.2≤ a/ c≤1.0), crack depth ratio (0.2≤ a/ t≤0.9), relative crack location (0.2≤2 c/ d≤0.9) and normalized location on the crack front (0≤2 ϕ/π≤2) are carried out for numerical estimation of crack interaction factors. Due to the crack interaction, the stress intensity factor distribution is observed to be asymmetric along the crack front. The interaction is also observed to cease when the distance between two cracks is more than five times the crack width (i.e. 2 c/ d less than 0.2) irrespective of crack shape aspect ratio. Finally, an empirical relation is proposed for the evaluation of crack interaction crack interaction factors for the range of parameters considered. For the ranges considered, the proposed empirical relation predicts the crack interaction factors at the inner and outer surface points of the crack within ±4% of the three-dimensional finite element solutions.