The evolution of dispersed short-fatigue-cracks is analysed based on the equilibrium of crack-number-density (CND). By separating the mean value and the stochastic ̄uctuation of local CND, the equilibrium equation of overall CND is derived. Comparing with the mean-®eld equilibrium equation, the equilibrium equation of overall CND has di€erent forms in the expression of crack-nucleation-rate or ...

A transient _nite element analysis is carried out to provide insight into the low temperature dynamic material toughness versus crack tip relationship for high strength structural steels under intense stress pulse loading[ The problem analyzed here is plane strain fracture of an edge cracked specimen under plane wave loading conditions[ The _nite element formulation employed accounts for the e}...

We investigated crack propagation in the drying process of a thin layer of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) paste experimentally. Cracks are induced by uniform desiccation from the top surface of a layer at the approximately same water content for various drying conditions. We found that the crack speed is a nonlinear increasing function of the drying rate at the cracking time although the tensile str...

In this paper, the present investigation has been conducted keeping in mind some of the problems concerning the crack propagation direction and growth under constant loading in an inclined crack geometry. The present studies mainly focused on the development and modifications in the crack growth criterion to account the biaxial, shear loading and number of stress terms. Existing criteria for th...

Tapered-double cantilever-beam joints were manufactured from aluminium-alloy substrates bonded together using a single-part, rubber-toughened, epoxy adhesive. The mode I fracture behaviour of the joints was investigated as a function of loading rate by conducting a series of tests at crosshead speeds ranging from 3.33 x10 m/s to 13.5 m/s. Unstable, (i.e. stick-slip crack) growth behaviour was o...

Electrochemical and mechanical experiments were conducted to analyze the environmentally influenced cracking behavior of a bulk amorphous metal, Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5. This study was motivated by a scientific interest in mechanisms of fatigue–crack propagation in an amorphous metal, and by a practical interest in the use of this amorphous metal in applications that take advantage of its ...

This paper focuses on the analysis of the partial differential equations arising from a new approach to modeling brittle fracture based on an extension of continuum mechanics to the nanoscale. It is shown that ascribing constant surface tension to the fracture surfaces and using the appropriate crack surface boundary condition given by the jump momentum balance, leads to a sharp crack opening p...

By partitioning the total stresses in a damaged composite into either mechanical and residual stresses or into initial and perturbation stresses, it was possible to derive several exact results for the energy release rate due to crack growth. These general results automatically include the effects of residual stresses, traction-loaded cracks, and imperfect interfaces. By considering approximate...