Numerical simulation of crack in a residual stress field

Abstract

Fracture mechanics analysis of metallic material is unequivocally one of the principal areas in the study of the failure of materials. The effect of residual stress on failure is often overlooked and usually not considered during the design stage. However, residual stress plays a crucial role in determining the failure of materials. This work studies the behaviour of a crack in a residual stress field. A residual stress field in a welded plate is obtained by finite element simulation of fusion welding. Subsequently, a stationary crack is introduced in the welded plate. J-integral is used to characterize the crack behaviour. The variation in J-integral values with the welding residual stress is studied. It is observed that crack behaviour and stress distribution in a residual stress field depend on the magnitude of primary stress in the material.