The fracture process zone in mode I fracture emanating from notch and plastic zone size

Abstract

In the linear mechanics of fracture from notch, the volumetric approach assumes that the rupture occurs in a cylindrical physical volume. This article highlights the hypothesis of this approach from the experimental results. According to this approach, the area of development of the fracture is characterized by its diameter called the effective distance and the average stress called effective stress. The determination of the effective distance is necessary to delimit this area. On the one hand, this article proposes a new method to determine this distance from the triaxiality parameter instead of the relative stress gradient, and on the other hand, it establishes a comparison between the plastic zone and the fracture process zone. The results show that the effective distance can be determined from the triaxiality parameter as well as the plastic zone including the zone of elaboration of the fracture.