Materials Science Forum Vol.

482 (2005) pp 303-306

Online available since 2005/Apr/15 at www.scientific.net
© (2005) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.482.303

The role of the constraint in the case of short cracks

Pavel Hutař 1,a, Stanislav Seitl 1,b, Zdeněk Knésl 1,c

1
Institute of Physics of Materials,
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Žižkova 22, 616 62 Brno
Czech Republic
a
hutar@ipm.cz, b seitl@ipm.cz, c knesl@ipm.cz

Keywords: short fatigue cracks, T-stress, constraint, stress concentrators

Abstract. A two-parameter constraint-based fracture mechanics approach is used to explain the

effect of the constraint on the apparently anomalous behavior of short fatigue cracks. The different
levels of stress constraint are quantified by the T-stress, and microstructurally as well as
mechanically short cracks are discussed. Short cracks generally behave more sensitively to the
constraint than the long ones. It is shown that in most cases, the existence of short cracks goes hand
in hand with an intrinsic loss of the constraint, which contributes to a decrease of their fatigue
threshold values and accelerates their growth. In this paper, the above effect is quantified and
conclusions concerning the applicability of the fracture mechanics parameters and approaches to the
estimation of the residual fatigue life of structures are discussed.

Introduction
For practical reasons, there is a considerable interest in understanding the propagation of fatigue
cracks of significantly small sizes. The growth rates of short fatigue cracks (in the size range from a
fraction of a millimetre to several millimetres) can be significantly greater than the corresponding
rates of long cracks under the same level of external loading. Usually, fatigue crack growth data are
obtained from specimens containing relatively long cracks that are typically dozens of millimeters in
lengths. In the case of short cracks, direct application of experimental data derived from common
specimens can results in dangerous overestimates of fatigue life.
In real materials, a lot of discontinuities and non-homogeneities are present with dimensions
comparable to a microstructure element [3]. These stress concentrators existing inside the material
alter the local level of stress distribution, and consequently also the near-tip stress field of short
cracks. A different stress field near the crack tip results in a different behavior of short cracks.
The aim of this paper is to describe the role of the constraint existing due to the interaction of a
short fatigue crack with a material non-homogeneity. This effect is studied in the context of high
cycle fatigue by applying the two-parameter constraint-based linear elastic fracture mechanics
approach. Three elementary cases of non-homogeneity (material interface, inclusion and notch) are
modeled. The constraint is described by the T-stress value.

Two-parameter fracture mechanics

Basic concepts. Constraint-based fracture mechanics is an extension to the classical (single-
parameter) fracture mechanics. The constraint effect in fracture is generally characterized by the
effect of geometry of the structure on multiaxiality of the near crack tip stress distribution. As a
result, the near tip plastic zone size depends for same values of the stress intensity factors on the
geometry of the body. In case of linear elastic fracture mechanics, the elastic T-stress is used to
quantify the level of the constraint. Elastic T-stress denotes the constraint stress term acting in
parallel to the crack faces and corresponds to the first non-singular term in the Williams expansion
of the near tip stress field, i.e.

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304 Materials Structure & Micromechanics of Fracture

KI
σij = f ij (θ) + Tδ1i δ1 j , (1)
2πr

where KI is the corresponding stress intensity factor, and fij is a known function of the polar angle θ.
In general, higher values of T-stress correspond to a higher level of constraint. The basic idea of the
two-parameter fracture mechanics consists in the fact that the behavior of two cracks in different
structures is the same if both parameters, the stress intensity factor and the T-stress, are identical.

Evaluation of fracture parameters. All necessary calculations of the K and T values have been
performed by the finite element method (the ANSYS system). The evaluation of the stress intensity
factor was performed using the quarter-point element method. The T-stress was computed by the
direct and the integral approach, respectively, see [4] for details.

Influence of constraint on fatigue crack propagation rate. Under small scale yielding conditions
(i.e. in the high cycle fatigue domain), the crack propagation rate is often described by the Paris-
Erdogan law. The relation between the fatigue crack growth rate da/dN and the stress intensity
factor range ∆KI has the form:

da / dN = C( ∆K I ) m (4)
where C, m are material parameters. This law is assumed to be a material property independent of
the specimen geometry. Contrary to this fact, it has been proved experimentally; see [1], [2], [5] that
for a given value of ∆KI, the fatigue crack growth rate depends on the geometry of the specimen as
well. The differences are due to the different level of the constraint at the fatigue crack tip as a result
of a different specimen geometry and can be quantitatively described in terms of the T-stress values.
In general, for the same stress intensity factor range ∆KI, the high cycle fatigue crack propagation
rate decreases with increasing level of the constraint, i.e.,

da / dN (T < 0) > da / dN (T = 0) > da / dN (T > 0). (5)

Depending on the value of the T-stress and the cyclic yield stress of the material, crack propagation
rates may differ due the constraint for the same value of the stress intensity factor by as much as
100 %. Based on the assumptions of linear elastic two-parameter fracture mechanics, the effective
stress intensity factor, KI eff (KI ,T,σ0 ), has been introduced as a function of the T-stress and the
cyclic yield stress of material. A modified Paris-Erdogan law has been suggested in papers [1], [2]:

eff
da / dN = C( ∆K I ( ∆K I , T, σ0 )) m (6)
Similarly, the influence of the constraint on the corresponding fatigue threshold value has been
investigated and demonstrated in [1]. In general, the value of the fatigue threshold decreases with a
decreasing constraint level. The difference may be up to 20 %.

Numerical results
An interaction of three different microstructural defects with a short crack was modeled, and for
each case, the variables K and T were calculated. Based on the T values, the effect of the constraint
on the behavior of a short fatigue crack in the vicinity of the defects was estimated and is discussed.
(a) Grain boundary – a two dimensional problem, presented in Fig. 1., is modeled as a bicrystal. The
orientation of the crack with respect to the boundary is given by the angle α. The normal mode of
loading corresponds to a crack perpendicular to the boundary, i.e. for α=0, and such configuration
corresponds to a maximum loss of constraint, see Fig. 1. Consequently, the corresponding cracks
 Materials Science Forum Vol. 482 305

will propagate with higher rates and with lower values of the fatigue threshold than others. From a
set of short cracks, those oriented perpendicularly to the interface will start to propagate first.
Moreover, the loss of constraint depends on the elastic mismatch of both materials.

Fig. 1. Numerical model and the dependence of T-stress values on the orientation of the short crack
with respect to the boundary. The value α=0° corresponds to a short crack that is perpendicular to
the interface. The elastic mismatch of both materials is given by the ratio of the corresponding
Young’s moduli E1/E2. Calculated for σapp=100 MPa.

(b) Circular inclusion – the dependence of the T-stress values on the size of the inclusion is depicted
in Fig. 2. The change in the constraint level depends predominantly on the elastic mismatch of the
two materials.

Fig. 2. The dependence of the T-stress values on the size of the inclusion and the elastic mismatch
of the two materials. The corresponding numerical model is shown in the right part of the figure.
Calculated for σapp=100 MPa.

(c) V-notch – The dependence of the T-stress on the opening angle of the V-notch is shown in
Fig. 3. The V-notch represents a singular stress concentrator with variable stress singularity 1/rp,
306 Materials Structure & Micromechanics of Fracture

where p is in the interval <0,1/2>. For the same level of applied stress, the value of the constraint
decreases with an increasing opening angle.

Fig. 3. The dependence of the T-stress values on the opening angle of a sharp V-notch and the
corresponding numerical model. For α=0°, the V-notch corresponds to a crack. Calculated for
σapp=140 MPa.

Conclusions
Short fatigue cracks in the vicinity of non-homogeneities (modelling grain boundaries, inclusions or
notches) were analyzed and the corresponding T-stress quantifying the constraint level was
calculated. It was shown that the constraint level is sensitive to the position and orientation of the
short crack with respect to a microstructure defect. For all of the studied configurations, there exist
some short cracks related to an intrinsic loss of constraint. Such cracks will accelerate their growth
and their fatigue threshold value will decrease. Consequently, for the same value of stress intensity
range ∆KI, specifically oriented and situated short cracks propagate at higher rates and at values of
∆KI bellow the fatigue threshold value estimated for long cracks. The different behavior of short and
long fatigue cracks can be, at least partially, attributed to different level of the constraint.

Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the grants GAČR 101/03/0331 and
AV ČR S2041001.

References
[1] Hutař P., Seitl S., Knésl Z., Quantification of the effect of specimen geometry on the fatigue
crack growth response by two-parameter fracture mechanics, 13th International Conference on
the Strength of Materials, pp.146, Budapest, 2003
[2] Knésl Z., Seitl S., Hutař P., Accounting for effects of constraint on propagation of fatigue crack,
Damage & Fracture mechanics VII, WIT press, pp.245-253, 2002
[3] Murakami Y., Metal Fatigue:Effects of Small Defects and Nonmetallic Inclusions, Elsevier,
2002
[4] Sherry, A.H., France C.C., Goldthorpe, M.R., Compendium of T-stress solutions for two and
three dimensional cracked geometries, Fatigue Fract. Engng. Struct., Vol.18, 141-155, 1995
[5] Vecchio, R. S., Crompton, J. S., Hertzberg, R. W., The influence of specimen geometry on near
threshold fatigue crack growth, Fatigue Fract. Engng Mater. Struct., Vol.10, pp.333-342,1987
Materials Structure & Micromechanics of Fracture
10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.482

The Role of the Constraint in the Case of Short Cracks

10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.482.303

DOI References
[4] Sherry, A.H., France C.C., Goldthorpe, M.R., Compendium of T-stress solutions for two and hree
dimensional cracked geometries, Fatigue Fract. Engng. Struct., Vol.18, 141-155, 1995
doi:10.1111/j.1460-2695.1995.tb00148.x
[3] Murakami Y., Metal Fatigue:Effects of Small Defects and Nonmetallic Inclusions, Elsevier, 2002
doi:10.1016/B978-008044064-4/50006-2
[4] Sherry, A.H., France C.C., Goldthorpe, M.R., Compendium of T-stress solutions for two and three
dimensional cracked geometries, Fatigue Fract. Engng. Struct., Vol.18, 141-155, 1995
doi:10.1111/j.1460-2695.1995.tb00148.x