An Analytical Model Which Combines Roughness and Plasticity Induced Fatigue Crack Closure
by
Nong Chen
Department of Civil Engineering
Abstract
In this study an analytical PICC-RICC Model was developed to describe better the near-threshold fatigue behavior. The PICC-RICC Model was built upon a strip-yield type PICC model originally proposed by Newman and later modified by Hou and Lawrence. A zigzag crack growth path was introduced to simulate surface roughness. The two opposing crack surfaces were considered to be translated and thus mismatched by the mixed-mode displacements occurring near the deflected crack tip. The model is powerful and unique in that it combines the effects of RICC and PICC. Thus, the gradual transition from RICC to PICC dominated crack closure is handled naturally by this model.
The influences of the geometrical features of the surface roughness, R-ratio and the cyclic load range on RICC were examined using the PICC-RICC Model. Near-threshold fatigue behavior of various materials was predicted. The effect of microstructure on the RICC level was studied. The predicted results compared favorably with experimental data.
The fatigue notch size effect was investigated using the PICC-RICC model. The initial crack length (ai) for propagation was estimated. The predicted notch fatigue strength compared favorably with the Initiation-Propagation (I-P) Model prediction and test data. The existence of a “worst case notch” previously postulated using the I-P Model was confirmed.
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