A finite-element method applied to predicting fatigue-crack growth

Abstract

A finite-element analysis is presented to determine the stress and strain fields at and near the tip of a crack in an elastic-plastic material. These results, together with estimates of the crack opening displacement and plastic-zone size, are compared with equivalent values obtained from linear elastic fracture mechanics and the strip-yield model. Finally the finite-element-strain field data are used in a model which predicts the rates of fatigue-crack propagation; these correlate well with experimental results.