EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF FRACTURE IN DOUBLE-EDGE NOTCHED STEEL PLATES

Double-edge notched (DENT) steel plates were pulled until complete fra cture and several experimental observations were made (using profilome try and scanning electron microscopy). The essential work of fracture (EWF) model was found to be well verified. Numerical simulations - up to the maximum load only - of some experiments were performed using th e finite element method (FEM), and incorporating geometric and materia l non-linearities (large deformation elasto-plasticity). Some experime ntal measurements were compared with the corresponding numerical compu tations and excellent agreement was found.