Equivalent thickness conception for corner cracks

Thickness dependence of the one-parameter-based fracture toughness has been well recognized and widely studied. However, it is still a challenge to predict the fracture of structures with curved cracks from the fracture toughness data obtained from the standard through-the-thickness cracked specimens. The complicated three-dimensional (3D) stress fields near the crack front play a vital role in the fracture strength of materials. Based on a systematical numerical study of the 3D stress fields near the crack tip of quarter elliptic corner cracks and comparison with that of ideal through-the-thickness cracks, an equivalent thickness conception for curved cracks is proposed from the viewpoint of out-of-plane constraint, and a semi-analytical solution for the equivalent thickness of corner cracks is obtained. With the evaluated equivalent thickness, the fracture toughness of corner cracked specimens is predicted efficiently by the plane-strain toughness value of the material obtained from the standard through-the-thickness specimen. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.