MEE 4051 Introduction to Fracture Mechanics

Study Problems
1- The plate with 2 in center crack is subjected to the load P with value 600 lb. It has 2 in
center crack and the width of it is 20 in. If the sterss intensity factor approaches to
fracture toughness value;
a) Determine the problem is plane strain or plane stress problem
b) Calculate the plastic zone size.
2- A reactor grade A533B steel is to be tested for plane-strain fracture toughness. If the
yield strength of steel is 50 ksi and the expected fracture toughness is about 180 ksiin,
calculate the specimen thickness for valid KIC testing.

3- Consider a material where KIC= 35 MPam. Each of the five specimen given in Table 2.4
and Figure 1 has been fabricated from this material. In each case, B = 25.4 mm, W =
50.8 mm and (a/W) = 0.5. Estimate the failure load for each specimen. Which
specimenhas the highest failure load? Which has the lowest?

Figure 1

4- Calculate Keff (Irwin correction) for a through crack in a plate of width 2W

(see Figure 2). Assume plane stress conditions and the following stress-intensity
relationship:

a
K eff a eff sec eff
2w

1/ 2

 = 250 MPa, ys= 350 MPa, 2W = 203 mm, 2a = 50.8mm.

Figure 2
5- A flat plate with a through thickness crack (Figure 3) is subjected to a 100 MPa tensile
stress and has a fracture toughness KIC=50 MPam. Determine the critical crack
length fort his plate, assuming the material is linear elastic and compute the critical
energy release rate of the material for E = 207 GPa.

Figure 3

6- As it is seen from the figure, the thin-walled cylinder includes the crack which makes an angle
300 with the horizontal axis. The radius of the cylinder is given as R=0.2 m a = t = 0.005 where
a is the half of the crack length, and t is the thickness of the Wall. The fracture toughness of
the material is Kc = 50 MPa m. Therefore, find the torque T which initiates the crack
propagation.