On the Role of Dimensionless Elastic Fracture Mechanics.

Abstract

Dimensionless elastic fracture mechanics - the nondimensionalized counterpart to linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) - predicts size-independent strengths for geometrically similar specimens. This is in contrast to LEFM which has that the stress at fracture reduces as the inverse square root of the in-plane scale factor. It is shown that neither agrees with the data, irrespective of how brittle material response is. Used predictions is possible. However, both are essentially inadequate, since they lack valid underlying physical reasoning and, even as merely empirically based approaches, are short of sufficient accuracy to be reliable in practice. There is a need, therefore, to critically examine the very foundations of elastic fracture mechanics. Keywords: Notched specimens; Stress concentration; Crack propagation. (Author)

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 03, 1985
Accession Number
ADA161285

Entities

People

  • G. B. Sinclair

Organizations

  • Carnegie Mellon University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Chemistry
  • Continuum Mechanics
  • Engineering
  • Ferrium
  • Fracture (Mechanics)
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Mechanical Working
  • Mechanics
  • Test Methods

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Materials Science (Mechanical Engineering).
  • Structural Dynamics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design