A review of equivalent pre-crack sizes in aluminium alloy 7050-T7451

This paper reviews some analyses of quantitative fractography measurements of the fatigue fracture surfaces of 7050 aluminium alloy specimens along with relevant fatigue crack information including crack initiating discontinuity size and type. These data were used to assess whether surface finish or applied stress level has any effect on the estimated effective crack initiating discontinuity size, namely the equivalent pre-crack size (EPS). The statistical distributions for the EPSs of the following initiating discontinuity types were examined: chemically etched pits, glass bead peening damage, mechanical damage, inclusions and porosity. The EPSs at various percentile levels for these types were determined on the basis of the samples considered. Finally, the correlation between measured initiating discontinuity depth and EPS was investigated, and good correlation was found in the case of mechanical damage. The purpose of conducting these analyses was to gain a better understanding of the parameters governing the fatigue crack-like effect of discontinuities to facilitate the better prediction of fatigue lives.