Digital Repository, FCP2003

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Fatigue Crack Paths under Complex Loading
H.A. Richard, M. Sander, M. Fulland

Last modified: 2013-12-02

Abstract


In many cases the lifetime of technical structures and componentsdepends on the behaviour of cracks. Due to complex geometry and loading situations inreal-world-structures cracks are often subjected to superimposed normal, in-plane andout-of-plane stresses. This paper deals with experimental investigations and numericalsimulations of fatigue crack growth under complex loading. In contrast to a pureMode I loading, where the crack grows self-similar (coplanar) from the starter crack,the growth of Mixed Mode loaded cracks generally leads to non-planar crack surfaces.Experimentally and numerically determined fatigue crack paths in specimen andstructures under complex loading will be described in the following.

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