FRACTURE-ANALYSIS OF SEMICIRCULAR AND SEMI-CIRCULAR-BEND GEOMETRIES

A fracture mechanics analysis of the semi-circular (SC) and semi-circu lar-bend (SCB) fracture geometries is presented. The weight function m ethod is implemented to obtain wide ranging stress intensity factor (S IF) and crack opening displacement (GOD) expressions. This study has a s its basis a finite element analysis of the semi-circular disk (SC) s ubjected to a reference loading case. The latter is required to determ ine both the associated reference stress intensity factor and the weig ht function for the base-edge-cracked semi-circular geometry. With thi s information, SIF and COD expressions for the full range of crack len gths are obtained. The special cases of the SC subject to a concentrat ed crack mouth loading and the SCB are analyzed in detail. The weight function for the SCB is fully developed, with an accurate expression f or the SIF and and a numerical result for the crack mouth opening disp lacement (CMOD). The latter wide ranging expressions can, in turn, be applied as a reference solution. From this weight function approach, S IF's and COD's for the SC and SCB subject to any other loading can be obtained.