Abstract
Experimental and computational methods were developed to model three‐dimensional (3‐D) mixed‐mode crack growth under fatigue loading with the objective of evaluating proposed 3‐D fracture criteria. The experiments utilized 7075‐T73 aluminium forgings cut into modified ASTM E740 surface crack specimens with pre‐cracks orientated at angles of 30, 45 and 60° in separate tests. The progress of the evolving fatigue crack was monitored in real time using an automated visualization system. In addition, the amplitude of the loading was increased at prescribed intervals to mark the location of the 3‐D crack front for post‐test inspection. In order to evaluate proposed crack growth equations, computer simulations of the experiments were conducted using a 3‐D fracture model based on the surface integral method. An automatic mesher advanced the crack front by adding a ring of elements consistent with local application of fracture criteria governing rate and direction of growth. Comparisons of the computational and experimental results showed that the best correlation was obtained when KII and KIII were incorporated in the growth rate equations.
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