Calculation of Stress Intensity Factors for Cracks in Structural and Mechanical Components Subjected to Complex Stress Fields

Abstract

One of the difficulties in using fracture mechanics is in determining stress intensity factors of cracked structural and mechanical components. The cracks are often subjected to complex stress fields induced by external loads and residual stresses resulting from the surface treatment. Both stress fields are characterized by non-uniform distributions, and handbook stress intensity factor solutions are seldom available in such cases. The method presented below is based on the generalized weight function technique enabling the stress intensity factors to be calculated for any Mode I loading applied to a planar semi-elliptical surface crack. The stress intensity factor can be determined at any point on the crack tip contour by using the general weight function. The calculation is carried out by integrating the product of the stress field and the weight function over the crack area. Several examples of point-load weight functions and resulting stress intensity factors are presented in the paper. The method is particularly suitable for modeling fatigue crack growth in the presence of complex stress fields.