APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSES OF CREEP CRACK-GROWTH DATA

A generalized, interactive and user friendly application software has been developed for post data analysis of constant load creep crack gro wth (CCG) studies. The software is personal computer based and operate s under MS-DOS environment. The software handles raw or engineering da ta of CCG studies on CCT, SENT or CT specimen geometry, under plane st ress or strain condition. It enables the user to correlate creep crack growth rate with macroscopic crack-tip parameters such as the referen ce stress, sigma(ref), net section stress; sigma(net), stress-intensit y factor, K, and the energy rate integral, C and C-t, of the time dep endent fracture mechanics concepts. It incorporates a data reduction S cheme and validity criteria for the C parameter as recommended in AST M-E-1457-92 specification. The validity and use of the software has be en demonstrated in the paper by analysing the raw data of CCG studies on a SENT type specimen of a cast nickel-base superalloy. (C) 1998 Els evier Science Ltd.