Notch-Toughness Performance Level as a Function of Temperature and Loading
Rates.........................................................................................................................5
Brittle Fracture.........................................................................................................8

Material Toughness............................................................................................ 9 Crack Size........................................................................................................... 9 Stress Level......................................................................................................... 9

Fracture Criteria.....................................................................................................13 Members with Cracks............................................................................................14 Stress Intensity Factors..........................................................................................16 Deformation at the Crack Tip................................................................................21 Superposition of Stress Intensity Factors...............................................................22

Crack opening displacement (COD) - BS 5762................................................ 27 Determination of R-Curves - ASTM-E561........................................................ 28 Determination of JIc - ASTM-E813.................................................................. 30

Free Surface Correction Fs....................................................................................37 Crack Shape Correction Fe....................................................................................37 Finite Plate Dimension Correction Fw..................................................................38 Correction Factors for Stress Gradient Fg.............................................................38 Remarks on Crack Geometry.................................................................................39

In his first treatise on "Mathematical Theory of Elasticity" Love, 100 years ago, discus- sed several topics of engineering importance for which linear elastic treatment appeared inadequate. One of these was rupture. Nowadays structural materials have been im- proved with a corresponding decrease in the size of safety factors and the principles of modern fracture mechanics have been developed, mainly in the 1946 to 1966 period.

Fracture mechanics is the science studying the behaviour of progressive crack extension in structures. This goes along with the recognition that real structures contain disconti- nuities.

Fracture mechanics is the primary tool (characteristic material values, test procedures, failure analysis procedures) in controlling brittle fracture and fatigue failures in struc- tures. The desire for increased safety and reliability of structures, after some spectacular failures, has led to the development of various fracture criteria. Fracture criteria and fracture control are a function of engineering contemplation taking into account econo- mical and practical aspects as well.

Brittle fracture is a type of catastrophic failure that usually occurs without prior plastic deformation and at extremely high speeds. Brittle fractures are not so common as fatigue (the latter characterised by progressive crack development), yielding, or buckling failures, but when they occur they may be more costly in terms of human life and prop- erty damage. Fatigue failures according to statistics is responsible for approx. 7% of failures.

Aristotle talked about hooks on molecules, breaking them meant fracture. Da Vinci and Gallileo talked about fracture, too. The big break in fracture mechanics came in 1920 with the Griffith theory, applicable mostly to brittle materials, as well as Orowan and Irwing and Williams in the 1940's.

Catastrophic brittle failures were recorded in the 19th and early 20th century. There were several failures in welded Vierendeel-truss bridges in Europe shortly after being put into service before World War II. However, it was not until the large number of World War II ship failures that the problem of brittle fracture was fully appreciated by engineers. 1962 the Kings Bridge in Melbourne failed by brittle fracture at low tempera- tures due to poor details and fabrication resulting in cracks which were nearly through the flange prior to any service loading. Although this failure was studied extensively, bridge-builders did not pay particular attention until the failure of the Point Pleasent Bridge in West Virginia, USA on December 15, 1965. This was the turning point initia- ting the possibilities of fracture mechanics in civil engineering.

This failure was unique in several ways, it was investigated extensively and its results were characteristic for the procedures and possibilities of fracture mechanics analysis. Therefore they are mentioned briefly here: