The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an alternative analysis method that can provide an estimate of fracture toughness for specimens that failed to meet all of ASTM E 1820 requirements. This study will look at three alternative analysis methods and evaluate each method’s ability to accurately and easily estimate the elastic-plastic fracture toughness. The standard method of analysis is long and complicated which leads to a number of validity requirements that many tests fail to meet. The objective is to find an easier and reasonably accurate estimate of elastic-plastic fracture toughness. This study has shown that there are two useful means of directly measuring the toughness from the load versus displacement record. It has also shown that there is a method of substituting a linear regression for the power law regression which yields good estimates of fracture toughness. All three methods have been estimating JQ which is a provisional measure of elastic-plastic fracture toughness. The first direct method uses an integral of the area up to the maximum load point to acquire the JQ. The second direct method uses a conversion of the linear elastic fracture toughness which only uses the crack growth and the maximum load from the load versus displacement record. The final method substitutes a linear regression of the two J-R points on either side of the JQ line to determine the JQ point. Each alternative analysis was able to acquire J values with varying degrees of accuracy. The linear substitution was the most accurate. The first direct method using an area integral tended to over predict the true J value. The second direct method using a conversion formula had a tendency to under predict the true J value. None of these methods could substitute for the ASTM standard; however, each provided a usable estimate of elastic-plastic fracture toughness.

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is an alternative analysis method that can provide an estimate of fracture toughness for specimens that failed to meet all of ASTM E 1820 requirements. This study will look at three alternative analysis methods and evaluate each method’s ability to accurately and easily estimate the elastic-plastic fracture toughness. The standard method of analysis is long and complicated which leads to a number of validity requirements that many tests fail to meet. The objective is to find an easier and reasonably accurate estimate of elastic-plastic fracture toughness. This study has shown that there are two useful means of directly measuring the toughness from the load versus displacement record. It has also shown that there is a method of substituting a linear regression for the power law regression which yields good estimates of fracture toughness. All three methods have been estimating JQ which is a provisional measure of elastic-plastic fracture toughness. The first direct method uses an integral of the area up to the maximum load point to acquire the JQ. The second direct method uses a conversion of the linear elastic fracture toughness which only uses the crack growth and the maximum load from the load versus displacement record. The final method substitutes a linear regression of the two J-R points on either side of the JQ line to determine the JQ point. Each alternative analysis was able to acquire J values with varying degrees of accuracy. The linear substitution was the most accurate. The first direct method using an area integral tended to over predict the true J value. The second direct method using a conversion formula had a tendency to under predict the true J value. None of these methods could substitute for the ASTM standard; however, each provided a usable estimate of elastic-plastic fracture toughness.

Adopted in 2003, the National Incident Management System is the nation’s first standardized management system unifying the actions of all levels of governments during a large-scale emergency response. It sets the standard for interagency coordination and communication in the event of an emergency. This professional report seeks to produce a working, NIMS-compliant emergency communication plan for the City of Austin, Texas. The report begins with an explanation of NIMS, focusing on the national protocols for interagency communication and public information. It then presents a case study of emergency communications in practice, examining two firestorms in San Diego County, California that occurred four years apart – prior to and after the County’s implementation of NIMS communications protocols. The report synthesizes best practices in emergency communications – from both NIMS research and the San Diego case study – to create the City of Austin Public Information and Emergency Communication Plan, an operational guide that fully utilizes the tools and organizational structure of all City departments, including the City’s Communications and Public Information Office. / text