MEE 4051 Introduction to Fracture Mechanics Midterm 29.11.

2023
1) The steel plate with 50 cm width and 1.3 mm thick is fixed from one end and loaded
with 160 kN force at the other end. The fracture toughness of this stell plate is KIC = 55
MPa(m)1/2 and it includes the center crack. Therefore, calculate the occured maximum
critical crack length before fracture occurs?. Use the given formula. (20 points)

K=σ √ πa √ sec ( πa/2 t )

2) Design tensile strength of an aluminum plate, which has a yield strength 300 MPa and the
σ /2
fracture toughness 20 kJ/m2 , is y . Therefore,
a) Calculate the crack length for the brittle fracture of the aluminium materials. E =
70 GPa (Elastic Modulus)
b) What is the fracture toughness for this plate? (20 points)
3) 150 MPa stress is subjected to a plate as Mode I loading. The fracture toughness of the
plate material is given as 80 MPa(m)1/2. Therefore,
a) Calculate the critical length of the edge crack in the plate?,
b) Calculate the strain energy release energy release rate for this plate?. (20 points)
2 3 4
a a a a
  1.12  0.23   10.56   21.74   30.42 
w w w w
4) Consider a low strength steel with σ0 =350 MPa, KIC = 250MPa (m)1/2 and E = 210GPa.
What are the minumum specimen size requirements for valid KIC measurements? (20 points)
5) Consider a material where KIC = 35 MPa √m. Each of the five specimen given in Figure
1 and Table 2.4 which has been fabricated from steel 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
specimen has the highest failure load? Which has the lowest? E = 207 GPa. (20 points)

Good Luck! Time Left : 90 Minutes Prof. Dr. M. Evren Toygar