[pt] A Mecânica da Fratura é uma área da mecânica clássica que estuda os processos que podem resultar no surgimento e propagação de fraturas e trincas nos materiais. Seus conceitos podem ser empregados em diversas áreas, como, por exemplo, no desenvolvimento de novos materiais, na área industrial (auxiliando na definição dos parâmetros de criticidade de defeitos) e em projetos estruturais, onde a presença de descontinuidades pode resultar na diminuição da resistência do material, levando-o ao colapso estrutural. As fraturas podem surgir como defeitos básicos nos materiais constituintes dos elementos, podem ser induzidas nos processos de construção ou, ainda, podem ser desenvolvidas durante a vida útil da estrutura. O estudo do comportamento de uma fratura é fundamental para a verificação coerente de tensões e deformações nos projetos estruturais. Alguns autores apresentaram diferentes metodologias para o cálculo de parâmetros importantes associados à propagação de fraturas. Tais parâmetros podem variar de acordo com o comportamento do material, características geométricas, carregamentos, condições de contorno e configuração das trincas. Essas análises também podem ser validadas através de metodologias numéricas. O presente projeto tem por objetivo avaliar o Fator de Intensidade de Tensões a partir de análises numéricas de três casos de fratura com base nos conceitos da Mecânica da Fratura Linear Elástica (MFLE). Para tal, aplicaram-se duas técnicas de modelagem em Elementos Finitos: elementos quarter-point 2D e 3D e o Método dos Elementos Finitos Estendidos (XFEM) 3D. Por fim, os resultados obtidos são comparados com os resultados publicados na literatura. Apesar das vantagens associadas ao uso do XFEM para modelagem de fraturas, o cálculo pela integral de domínio para esta técnica apresenta oscilações nos valores fornecidos para as diferentes solicitações de contornos. A técnica de modelagem com Elementos Quarter-Points 2D e 3D apresenta resultados mais estáveis e próximos das soluções analíticas. / [en] Fracture Mechanics is an area of classical mechanics that studies processes that can result in the creation and propagation of fractures and cracks in materials. Its concepts can be utilized in many areas, such as, for example, the development of new materials, in the industrial area (to assist in the definition of defect criticality parameters) and in structural projects, where the presence of discontinuities can result in decreased material resistance, leading to its structural collapse. The fractures can emerge as basic defects in materials that constitute the structural elements, can be inducted in construction processes or could even be developed during the lifespan of the structure. Studying the behavior of a fracture is fundamental to verifying coherently stress and deformations on structural projects. Some authors presented different methodologies to calculate important parameters associated to the propagation of cracks. These parameters could vary according to the material behavior, geometrical characteristics, loads, boundary conditions and cracking patterns. Those analyses can also be validated through numerical methodologies. This present project aims at evaluating the Stress Intensity Factor from numerical analyses of three cracks cases based on the concepts of Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM). Two techniques of Finite Element modeling were considered: quarter-point elements 2D and 3D and Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) 3D. In the end, the results obtained are compared with results already published in the available literature. Despite the advantages associated with the use of XFEM for fracture modeling, the calculation of the stress intensity factor by the domain integral for this technique presents oscillations in the values provided for the different contour requests. The modeling technique with 2D and 3D quarter-points elements presents results that are more stable and closer to the analytical solutions.

[pt] O surgimento de trincas em projetos estruturais tem sido um problema para engenharia por algumas décadas, e uma das áreas onde este tópico é amplamente estudado é em aeronaves comerciais. Vários acidentes ocorreram nas últimas décadas devido ao aparecimento de uma trinca em aeronaves comerciais, e por essa razão o estudo da mecânica da fratura é tão importante para este campo da engenharia. Um componente estrutural é tolerante a danos se puder sustentar com segurança o comprimento crítico a trincas até que seja reparado ou sua vida econômica expire. Enrijecedores ou reforçadores têm a função principal de melhorar a resistência e estabilidade dessas estruturas e fornecer um meio de desacelerar ou parar a propagação de trincas em contenções nucleares, reatores, viadutos, edifícios altos, aeronaves, cascos de navios, pontes e estruturas offshore. Analisando o fator de intensidade de tensão e como o comportamento de uma folha com e sem reforços é diferente são alguns dos problemas estudados neste trabalho. O fator de intensidade de tensão (FIT), é um parâmetro que descreve a intensidade do campo de tensão singular, foi usado com sucesso para estimar a resistência à fratura e taxas de propagação de trinca por fadiga em situações em que as suposições de elasticidade são válidas. Neste trabalho, o FIT foi obtido para placas com reforços colados e rebitados, com base no método dos elementos finitos (MEF) utilizando elementos quarter point por meio de simulações realizadas no software ABAQUS. Forças no rebite foram calculadas para uma trinca com rebites e longarinas espaçadas uniformemente. Os resultados apresentados são comparados com os valores encontrados na literatura por meio de gráficos e mostram que o FIT é significativamente menor do que para uma folha não enrijecida para os casos de reforço estudados. / [en] The emergence of fractures in structural designs has been a problem for engineering for some decades, and one of the areas where this topic is widely studied is in commercial aircraft. Several accidents have occurred in the last decades due to the appearance of a fracture in commercial aircraft, and for this reason the study of fracture mechanics is so important for this field of engineering. A structural component is tolerant of damage if it can safely sustain critical length fractures until it is repaired or its economic life has expired. Reinforcers or stiffeners have the main function of improving the resistance and stability of these structures and providing a means of decelerating or stopping the propagation of fractures in nuclear containments, reactors, viaducts, tall buildings, aircraft, ship hulls, bridges and offshore structures. Analyzing the stress intensity factor and how the behavior of a sheet with and without stiffeners is different are some of the issues studied in this work. The stress-intensity factor (SIF), a parameter that describes the intensity of the singular stress field, has been used successfully to estimate fracture strength and fatigue crack growth rates in situations where the assumptions of linear elasticity are valid. In this work, the SIF was obtained for plates with adhesive and riveted reinforcements, based on the finite element method (FEM) using quarterpoint elements through simulations carried out in the ABAQUS software. Forces in the rivet were calculated for a crack with riveted and evenly spaced stringers. The complete results presented are compared with values found in the literature through graphs. The results show that the stress intensity factor for the hardened sheet is significantly lower than for an un-hardened sheet for both studied stiffener cases.

Due to the increasing use of cyclically loaded cast aluminum components in automotive and aerospace applications, fatigue and fatigue crack growth characteristics of aluminum castings are of great interest. Despite the extensive research efforts dedicated to this topic, a fundamental, mechanistic understanding of these alloys' behavior when subjected to dynamic loading is still lacking. This fundamental research investigated the mechanisms active at the microstructure level during dynamic loading and failure of conventionally cast and SSM Al-Si-Mg alloys. Five model alloys were cast to isolate the individual contribution of constituent phases on fatigue resistance. The major constituent phases, alpha-Al dendrites, Al/Si eutectic phase, and Mg-Si strengthening precipitates were mechanistically investigated to relate microstructure to near-threshold crack growth (Delta Kth) and crack propagation regimes (Regions II and III) for alloys of different Si composition/morphology, grain size, secondary dendrite arm spacing, heat treatment. A procedure to evaluate the actual fracture toughness from fatigue crack growth data was successfully developed based on a complex Elastic-Plastic-Fracture-Mechanics (EPFM/J-integral) approach. Residual stress-microstructure interactions, commonly overlooked by researches in the field, were also comprehensively defined and accounted for both experimentally and mathematically, and future revisions of ASTM E647 are expected.

Apresenta-se um estudo, por meio do método dos elementos finitos, de problemas quase-estáticos de trincas em materiais anisotrópicos. Os fatores de intensidade de tensão em modo misto de carregamento foram determinados utilizando-se as metodologias da integral Jk, da correlação dos deslocamentos e da integral de fechamento de trinca modificada. Para a integral Jk, foi desenvolvida uma formulação baseada nas leis da conservação da elasto-estática e das integrais independentes do percurso. Na expressão, para a integral J2 levou-se em consideração o termo não singular da representação analítica do campo de tensões. Desta forma, foi obtida uma expressão analítica para a descontinuidade na densidade de energia de deformação, presente na integral J2. Com os valores da integral Jk, os fatores de intensidade de tensão puderam ser determinados diretamente. Com a mesma sistemática, desenvolvida para a integral J2, determinou-se a integral J1 para problemas envolvendo carregamento nas faces da trinca. Os resultados obtidos estão de acordo com os resultados presentes na literatura considerando ortotropia de material, ainda que para algumas configurações o mesmo é tratado como um caso de anisotropia geral. Assim como a integral J1 a integral J2 mostrou-se independente do contorno envolvendo a ponta da trinca. / A study is proposed based on crack quasi-static problems in anisotropic materials by the finite element method. The mixed-mode stress intensity factors were determined by the Jk integral, displacement correlation and modified crack closure integral methodologies. The Jk integral was derived from a conservation law of linear elasticity theory. In the formulation to obtain the J2 integral the non-singular term in the stress fields was considered. An analytical expression was obtained to discontinuity of the strain energy density in the crack faces, presented by J2 integral. A similar approach was applied to determine J1 integral in crack surface traction problems. The results confer with the results present in the literature considering orthotropic materials. In some configurations the problem is treated from general anisotropy theory. In the same way that J1 integral the path-independence property was established to J2 integral.

Apresenta-se um estudo, por meio do método dos elementos finitos, de problemas quase-estáticos de trincas em materiais anisotrópicos. Os fatores de intensidade de tensão em modo misto de carregamento foram determinados utilizando-se as metodologias da integral Jk, da correlação dos deslocamentos e da integral de fechamento de trinca modificada. Para a integral Jk, foi desenvolvida uma formulação baseada nas leis da conservação da elasto-estática e das integrais independentes do percurso. Na expressão, para a integral J2 levou-se em consideração o termo não singular da representação analítica do campo de tensões. Desta forma, foi obtida uma expressão analítica para a descontinuidade na densidade de energia de deformação, presente na integral J2. Com os valores da integral Jk, os fatores de intensidade de tensão puderam ser determinados diretamente. Com a mesma sistemática, desenvolvida para a integral J2, determinou-se a integral J1 para problemas envolvendo carregamento nas faces da trinca. Os resultados obtidos estão de acordo com os resultados presentes na literatura considerando ortotropia de material, ainda que para algumas configurações o mesmo é tratado como um caso de anisotropia geral. Assim como a integral J1 a integral J2 mostrou-se independente do contorno envolvendo a ponta da trinca. / A study is proposed based on crack quasi-static problems in anisotropic materials by the finite element method. The mixed-mode stress intensity factors were determined by the Jk integral, displacement correlation and modified crack closure integral methodologies. The Jk integral was derived from a conservation law of linear elasticity theory. In the formulation to obtain the J2 integral the non-singular term in the stress fields was considered. An analytical expression was obtained to discontinuity of the strain energy density in the crack faces, presented by J2 integral. A similar approach was applied to determine J1 integral in crack surface traction problems. The results confer with the results present in the literature considering orthotropic materials. In some configurations the problem is treated from general anisotropy theory. In the same way that J1 integral the path-independence property was established to J2 integral.

Ce mémoire présente une méthode mise au point pour caractériser et analyser des fissures de fatigue présentant un fort caractère tridimensionnel dans des matériaux métalliques opaques. L'analyse consiste à déterminer avec précision la position du front de la fissure étudiée et à mesurer des valeurs de facteurs d'intensité des contraintes le long du front par projection sur les séries de Williams du champ de déplacement issu de la corrélation numérique d'images 3D obtenues par tomographie aux rayons X. La corrélation d'images 3D numériques est utilisée afin de mesurer le champ de déplacement en volume lors de la mise sous chargement d'une éprouvette fissurée fatiguée. La corrélation d'images nécessitant un mouchetis, le matériau retenu pour les expériences est la fonte à graphite sphéroïdal car il présente un mouchetis 3D naturel (les nodules de graphites) parfaitement imagé par tomographie aux rayons X. Le cyclage est appliqué à l'aide d'une machine de fatigue in situ permettant d'alterner des phases de propagation de la fissure avec des acquisitions tomographiques sous différentes charges. L'introduction d'un défaut artificiel (une entaille obtenue par usinage laser) permet de maîtriser l'amorçage et la propagation de la fissure in situ. La méthode de corrélation d'images 3D numériques employée dans ces travaux étant basée sur des éléments finis, nous avons cherché à tirer profit de différents outils développés dans le cadre de cette méthode. Les surfaces libres sont spécifiées afin de bien conditionner le maillage et un enrichissement dans l'esprit des X-FEM permet de renseigner la fissure dont la position est repérée grâce à la trace laissée dans le résidu de corrélation entre l'image avant cyclage et la dernière image acquise. Une régularisation mécanique est également introduite dans le calcul sous forme d'un filtre de longueur d'onde choisie. Le champ de déplacement mesuré avec précision est ensuite projeté sur les séries de Williams augmentées des termes correctifs de Leblond et Torlai qui prennent en compte la courbure du front de la fissure. L'annulation du terme super-singulier d'ordre -1 des séries de Williams est utilisée pour détecter la position du front de la fissure. Une procédure itérative a été mise en place afin de concilier l'enrichissement et la courbure du front avec la projection sur les séries de Williams. Une fois la position du front 3D de la fissure déterminée et les valeurs des facteurs d'intensité des contraintes associées calculées, les résultats obtenus sont confrontés à la littérature. / This manuscript describes a methodology used to compute Stress Intensity Factor values along the curved front of a fatigue crack inside a nodular cast iron. An artificial defect is introduced at the surface of a small sample. The initiation and growth of a fatigue crack from this defect during constant amplitude cycling is monitored in situ by laboratory x-ray tomography. The method for processing the 3D images in order to compute SIF values is described in detail. The results obtained show variations of the stress intensity factor values along the crack front.

Es werden hydrostatisch stranggepresste Aluminium/Magnesium-Verbunde untersucht. Mittels verschiedener Rissdetektionsmethoden wird die Beschaffenheit des Interface analysiert. Es erfolgt die Bestimmung von Fließkurven der verpressten Einzelwerkstoffe bei Raumtemperatur. Des Weiteren erfolgen Eigenspannungsanalysen mit dem Bohrlochverfahren und einer speziellen numerischen Auswertungsmethode, welche den Entstehungsprozess der Eigenspannungen berücksichtigt. Zur Analyse der Festigkeitseigenschaften und des Deformationsverhaltens des Interface werden Biegeversuche in einem erweiterten Temperaturbereich durchgeführt. Die Deformationsanalyse erfolgt mittels Digital Image Correlation. Des Weiteren finden in den Festigkeitsuntersuchungen Push-Out-Versuche Anwendung. In bruchmechanischen Analysen wird die Interfacerissspitze von speziell entwickelten Proben unter Mode I-Bedingungen, bezogen auf den homogenen Fall, beansprucht. Die bruchmechanischen Größen – kritischer betragsmäßiger Spannungsintensitätsfaktor und kritische Energiefreisetzungsrate – werden auf Basis der Experimente, der numerischen Simulation der Rissspitzenbeanspruchung sowie der für die linear-elastische Bruchmechanik des Interfacerisses geltenden Nahfeldgleichungen berechnet. / Hydrostatic coextruded aluminum/magnesium compounds are analyzed. By means of different methods of crack detection, the quality of the interface is investigated. Plastic behavior of the basic materials at room temperature is determined. Furthermore, residual stress analyses are performed using the hole drilling method and a special numerical evaluation procedure, which considers the formation process of the residual stresses. The strength and deformation behavior of the interface are determined by means of bending tests in an extended temperature range. Digital Image Correlation is used to analyze the deformation. Furthermore, push out tests are performed to determine the interface strength. In the course of fracture mechanical analyses, the crack tip of specially developed specimens is stressed under Mode I conditions (relating to homogeneous material). The fracture mechanical values – critical absolute value of the stress intensity factor and critical energy release rate – are determined by the use of experiments, numerical analyses of the crack tip fields as well as the equations of the linear elastic near field equations of interface fracture mechanics.

One of the most prominent factors affecting the performance and longevity of risers is vortex induced vibration (VIV), which can cause severe fatigue damage, especially in risers used in deep waters. The available approaches for analyzing VIV induced fatigue in risers mainly focus on the VIV aspect of the problem; indeed less attention has been paid on the effect of VIV on a riser’s fatigue life and in prediction of fatigue life using various models. This dissertation first demonstrates how one can characterize fatigue of pipes and risers using an equivalent plate specimen as opposed to using a pipe specimen, thereby simplifying the task, yet obtaining good accuracy. Actual variable amplitude loadings (VAL) are used to study the fatigue crack growth in risers’ material with a focus on the various influencing parameters. Extensive experimental investigations are performed, followed by analytical and computational nonlinear finite element analyses. It is shown that the higher harmonics do cause significant fatigue damage, thus their influence should not be ignored. The influence of load interaction effects is also investigated, focusing on the fatigue crack growth retardation effects due to tension overloads, as well as the acceleration effects due to compression underloads. The crack closure concept is then used to explore into both the fatigue retardation and acceleration effects within a VAL scenario. An effective method for calculation of the stress intensity factor is proposed, which considers only the tensile portion of the stress range, while proposing another effective approach for accounting for the influence of compressive stress cycles. Moreover, a two-parameter approach is used in this dissertation, relating the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) to the crack tip opening displacement (CTOD). It is shown that the CTOD provides adequate information for calculating the FCGR under VAL, and it can be effectively used to account for the influence of the compressive stress cycles. The experimental investigation also considers the retardation effect resulting from the applied peak tensile overload cycles (TOLC) and the influence of various so-called “clipping” levels, demonstrating the significant influence of the TOLC on crack growth retardation in VAL.

Compression fracture specimens are ideally suited for miniaturization down to tens of microns. Fracture testing of thermal barrier coatings, ceramics and glasses are also best accomplished under compression or indentation. Compression fracture specimen of finite size with constant form factor was not available in the literature. The finite-sized specimen of edge cracked semicircular disk (ECSD) is designed which has the property of constant form factor. The novel ECSD specimen is explored further using weight function concept. This thesis, therefore, is mainly concerned with the design, development and geometric optimization of compression fracture specimen vis a vis their characterization of form factors, weight functions and isotropic points in the uncracked geometry. Inspired by the Brazilian disk geometry, a novel compression fracture specimen is designed in the form of a semicircular disk with an edge crack which opens up due to the bending moment caused by the compressive load applied along its straight edge. This new design evolved from a set of photoelastic experiments conducted on the Brazilian disk and its two extreme cases. Surprisingly, normalized mode-I stress intensity factor of the semicircular specimen loaded under a particular Hertzian way, is found constant for a wide range of relative crack lengths. This property of constant form factor leads to the development of weight function for ECSD for deeper analysis of the specimen. The weight function of a cracked geometry does not depend on loading configuration and it relates stress intensity factor to the stress distribution in the corresponding uncracked geometry through a weighted integral. The weight function for the disk specimen is synthesized in two different ways: using the conventional approach which requires crack opening displacement and the dual form factor method which is newly developed. Since stress distribution in the uncracked specimen is required in order to use weight function concept, analytical solution is attempted using linear elasticity theory. Since closed form solution for stresses in the uncracked semicircular disk is seldom possible with the available techniques, a new semi-analytical method called partial boundary collocation (PBC), is developed which may be used for solving any 2-D elasticity problem involving a semi-geometry. In the new method, part of the boundary conditions are identically satisfied and remaining conditions are satisfied at discrete boundary points. The classical stress concentration factor for a semi-in finite plate with a semicircular edge notch re-derived using PBC is found to be accurate to the eighth decimal. To enhance the form factor in order to test high-toughness materials, edge cracked semicircular ring (ECSR) specimen is designed in which bending moment at the crack-tip is increased significantly due to the ring geometry. ECSR is analyzed using nite element method and the corresponding uncracked problem is analyzed by PBC. Constant form factor is found possible for the ring specimen with tiny notch. In order to avoid varying semi-Hertzian angle during practice and thereby ensure consistent loading conditions, the designs are further modified by chopping at the loading zones and analyzed. Photoelastic isotropic points (IPs) which are a special case of zeroth order fringe (ZOF) are often found in uncracked and cracked specimens. An analytical technique based on Flamant solution is developed for solving any problem involving circular domain loaded at its boundary. Formation of IPs in a circular disk is studied. The coefficients of static friction between the surfaces of disk and loading fixtures, in photoelastic experiments of three-point and four-point loadings, are explored analytically to confirm with experimental results. The disk under multiple radial loads uniformly spaced on its periphery is found to give rise to one isolated IP at the center. Splitting of this IP into a number of IPs can be observed when the symmetry of normal loading is perturbed. Tangential loading is introduced along with normal loading to capture the effect of the composition on formation of IPs. Bernoulli's lemniscate is found to fit fringe order topology local to multiple IPs. Isotropic points along with other low fringe order zones including ZOF are ideal locations for material removal for weight reduction. Making a small hole in the prospective crack path at the IP location in the uncracked geometry might provide dual benefits: 1. Form factor enhancement; 2. Crack arrestor. Thus, this thesis describes experimental, theoretical and computational investigations for the design, development and calibration of novel compact compression fracture specimens.

This diploma thesis deals with the different possible calculations of crack path. Specifically, it focuses on criteria based on maximum tangential stress, minimal strain energy density, crack tip displacement, and local symmetry. These criteria are used for calculations in ANSYS software to estimate possible crack paths on four simple structures. The thesis also contains the codes created in ANSYS. Using these, the crack trajectory of a given structure can be calculated by any of the four criteria described.