Fracture mechanical analyses of high strength steels applying experiments and simulation

Abstract

The paper contains information about the experimental and simulation test results of thermomechanically rolled high strength steel. The S960TM material grade was produced by a modern technological process, which provide longer estimated life time, better performance, and due to higher strength enable smaller applied wall thickness, which require less welding activity. The only disadvantage of this material grade is that they can contain material discontinuities in their microstructure. The characterisation of the response of these materials against load can be analysed by fracture mechanical investigation. Fracture mechanical experiments were carried out with three-point bending method, calculating fracture toughness value of crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD). To reduce the complicated real experiment in fracture mechanics, the simulation possibility of fracture mechanical behaviour of the investigated material was applied, using DEFORM software, which gave an acceptable narrowing to the measured phenomenon.