W. Wang et al., FATIGUE-CRACK PROPAGATION IN A HIGH-STRESS CONCENTRATION AREA, International journal of pressure vessels and piping, 58(1), 1994, pp. 25-34
The behaviour of fatigue crack propagation in a high stress concentrat
ion area caused by a geometrical notch in the structure is studied. Lo
w cycle fatigue tests in two kinds of materials and a total of six spe
cimens of double-through cracks emanating from the edges of an ellipti
cal hole were carried out. For reducing errors in the parameter calcul
ation, a calculation formula for the stress intensity factor K of a fi
nite width panel with double-through cracks emanating from the edges o
f a central elliptical hole is first established, and then, a large pl
astic zone correction method is introduced to take account of the elas
tic-plastic behaviour. Finite element analyses were carried out to con
firm the accuracy of the formula and the method. Both the stress inten
sity factor K and the large plastic zone correction form of K are used
as correlating parameters. The results show that the large plastic zo
ne correction form of K developed by the present studies which success
fully represents the J integral for the problem studied is a suitable
parameter to explore the behaviour of fatigue crack propagation in a h
igh stress concentration area.