Application of stereo vision to the study of mixed-mode crack-tip deformations

Abstract

A stereo vision is applied to evaluate crack-tip parameters for fracture specimens subjected to a mixed-mode loading (tension and shear). By using a special loading device, the applied remote loading is oriented at an angle with respect to the axis of the crack. At each loading angle, the calibrated vision system was rotated so that the axis of the crack is parallel to the horizontal or vertical axis of the image frame. At a load close to the crack initiation, the displacement field around the crack-tip region of the fracture specimen was measured relative to a specimen coordinate system located at the crack tip of the fracture specimen. During the experiment, the fracture specimen was subjected to rigid body translation and rotation. Hence, the displacement fields are affected by the rigid body translation and rotation. Using the experimentally determined displacements and the analytically determined displacements with several higher order terms being included, the stress intensity factors and the amount of rigid body translation and rotation were calculated through a least-squares fit. The effect of the rigid body motion on the measured displacements was then eliminated using the computed rigid body translation and rotation. Experimental results indicate that a K I and K II dominant region is observed in the corrected displacement fields.