Small Plastic Zone at the Crack Tip

Wureguli Reheman

Blekinge institute of technology, 2020

 Stress at the Crack Tip
q According to LEFM theory, the stress in the vicinity of a crack tip given
by the following,

§ The above solution predicts an infinite stresses at the crack tip, it assumes a
material can respond elastically up to infinitely high stress levels.

§ However, It is quite obvious that no material possesses such properties and, in

reality, some amount of plastic response must be present near the crack tip.
2
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Stress at the Crack Tip
q A plastic zone will appear close the crack tip and stresses redistribution will be
take place in side elastic region, which is just outside of this plastic zone.

q If the plastic zone is small (so-called Small Scale Yielding - SSY), LEFM may be
used, but with some corrections as the inelastic region at the crack tip grows.

q For SSY, simple corrections to LEFM are available.

q These will be presented based on the estimation of the size of the crack tip
yielding zone.

3
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Size and Shape of the Yielding Zone
q To get an idea of the size and shape of the plastic zone, we will examine the
yield condition in conjunction with asymptotic stress field result, which is
function of distance from the crack tip and angle in above slide.

q We will use the Mises yield condition, the Mises condition in terms of
principal stresses is given as,

(s 1 - s 2 ) + (s 2 - s 3 ) + (s 3 - s 1 ) = 2s
2 2 2 2
Y

si ( i = 1,2,3) (principal stresses)

4
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Size and Shape of the Yielding Zone
The principal stresses !. and !/ are evaluated as follows (can use Mohr’s circle,
for example),

plane strain: plane stress:

!" = !$$ = % !&& + !(( !" = !$$ = )
Considering mode I case, by inserting the corresponding !&& , !(( +,- !$$ in
the below equations,
to above equation,

5
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Size and Shape of the Yielding Zone
The following principle stress are obtained,
KI qæ qö
s 1, 2 = cos ç 1 ± sin ÷
2p r 2è 2ø
&' -
!" = $% *+,
$() $ (plane strain), s3 = 0 (plane stress)

By inserting this into Von Mises yield criterion gives,

K I2 2q æ 2q ö
cos ç 3 sin + (1 - 2n ) 2 ÷ = s Y2 (plane strain)
2p r 2è 2 ø
&$. " (plane stress)
/ + ,12$ - + *+, - = $!$34
$() $
6
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Size and Shape of the Yielding Zone
From these expressions, we solve the radius of the plastic zone , !" as a function
of # ,
Plane strain:

Plane stress: $% #
(
Take & = )

Plane strain Plane stress

7
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Shape of the Yielding Zone
2
æ KI ö
y çç ÷÷
èsy ø

2
æ KI ö
x ç ÷÷
çsy
è ø
pl s
pl e
Plastic zone shape for mode I (von Mises)

Extant of the plastic zone is significantly larger for the plane stress case 8
 The Shape of the Yielding Zone
q With a similar method, the shape of yielding zone for Mode II an be
achieved,

pl s
pl e
Plastic zone shape for mode II (von Mises)
9
The Shape of the Yielding Zone
2
æ KI ö
y ç ÷÷
çsy
è ø

2
æ KI ö
x ç ÷÷
çsy
è ø

Plastic zone shape for mode III

10
 The Size and Shape of the Yielding Zone

q Extent of the plastic zone at the crack tip look quite different that it is
significantly larger for plane stress case.

q Two approaches for the correction of LEFM,

Ø The Irwin approach

Ø The Dugdale model for plane stress

11
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Irwin Approach
q Consider stress investigation in Mode I, in the crack plane ( ! = # ),

, ,

Plane strain Plane stress

q For elastic-plastic material yielding will occur if,

s eff = s YS
Effective stress Yield limit of the material

12
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Irwin Approach
q According to the Tresca yield criterion, yielding occurs when,
Plane stress:
KI
s eff = s yy - 0 = = s YS , i.e s yy = as YS where a = 1
2pr
Plane strain:
KI
s eff = s yy - s zz = s yy (1 - 2v) = (1 - 2v) = s YS ,
2pr
1 1
i.e s yy = s YS = as YS where a =
(1 - 2v) (1 - 2v)
q Irwin(1960) suggested,
a = 1 for plane stress , a = 3 for plane strain
Ø Values which agree with measurements
13
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Irwin Approach
q In Irwin’s approach, elastic stress analysis is used to estimate the elastic-
plastic boundary,

§ So here ! = !$ is the first estimation of the

plastic zone length in front of crack tip
q Now the plastic yielding will give a redistribution of the stress field in front
of the crack tip that the elastic part of stress distribution will move a
distance !"− !$

§ The length ! = !" is the next estimation of

the plastic zone length

14
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Irwin Approach
q This second time estimate lead to the following length of plastic zone !" ,

Plane stress $ = ( : Plane strain ($ = &):

2
1 æ KI ö
rp = çç ÷÷
p è s YS ø [T.L. Anderson,1994]
The cross hatched area represent forces that
q Now here comes the question, how is would be present in elastic material, but can
this effects to the fracture criterion? not be carried in elastic plastic material
because the stress can not exceed yield
15
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Effective ! " by Using the Irwin Correction
q From the second time estimate of plastic zone, the elastic stress field
was moved to a distance #$ , thus the elastic stress field supposed to
behave as if the crack tip were located at # = #$

q This can be utilized in fracture criterion by,

§ Still SSY is valid LEFM theory may still be used

§ Only correction needed is replace the real crack length

by an effective crack length,

§ Then one has(Irwin correction),

q Then the fracture criterion becomes,

16
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Effective ! " by Using the Irwin Correction
q The Irwin correction for crack length is used when
for plane strain condition,

q Also, the Irwin correction may be used for remote stress #$ < &. (#) , at
larger remote stress, the plastic zone may not be small, and non-linear
fracture theories should be used.

q Now here comes another question as to in case of plane stress ?

17
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Dugdale Model

q Also called Strip Yield Model, because a yielding strip is

assumed at the crack tip

q First proposed by Dugdale [1] and then Barenblatt [2]

[1]: Dugdale, D.S., ”Yielding in Steel Sheets Containing Slits.” Journal of the Mechanics
and Physics of Solids, Vol. 8, 1960, pp. 100-104.

[2]: Barenblatt, G.I., ”The Mathematical Theory of Equilibrium Cracks in Brittle

Fracture.” Advances in Applied Mechanics, Vol. VII, Academic Press, 1962, NY pp. 55-
129.

18
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Dugdale Model
q Assumptions
ØNon-hardening material
ØPlane stress condition
ØThrough crack in an infinite plate
ØLong and slender plastic zone at the crack tip

19
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 The Dugdale Model
q How is the strip-yield plastic zone modelled?
Ø By assuming a crack of length 2a+2r
Ø r is the length of the plastic zone, with a closure stress equal to the uniaxial yield
strength of the material applied at each crack tip
Ø The model approximates elastic-plastic behavior by superimposing two elastic
solutions:
§ A through crack under remote tension and
§ A through crack with closure stresses at the tip.

20
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Estimation of the Stress Intensity due to the
Closure Stress
§ Consider a normal force P applied to the crack as shown on the figure. The plate is of
unit thickness.
§ The stress intensities for the 2 crack tips are
given by,

Fig.: Crack-opening force applied at

a distance x from the center-line.

Here P is a closure force at a point within the strip-

yield zone,

21
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Estimation of the Stress Intensity due to the
Closure Stress
q The total stress intensity at each crack tip resulting from the closure
stresses is the sum of the contributions from both crack tips, replacing
a by a+r:

Solving this integral gives:

The stress intensity from the remote tensile stress is given by:

22
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
Plastic Zone Sizing in Strip Yield Model(SYM)
q Stresses are finite in the strip-yield zone, so there cannot be a stress
singularity at the crack
q The plastic zone length r must be chosen such that the stress
intensity factors in above two equation cancel each other, then set
gives,

Meanwhile, rà ¥ when σ à σYS. Performing a Taylor Series expansion on equation

above, neglecting all but the first two terms and solving for the plastic zone size
based on the assumption σ << σYS gives:

23
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Effective K using the SYM
q How we do estimate the effective K in SYM?

§ One way is to set aeff equal to a+r and from equation above, which is
we get

However, this equation tends to overestimate Keff , because the strip-yield zone is loaded to σYS,
actual aeff should be less than a+r. Therefore, a more realistic estimate was obtained by
Burdekin and Stone (*) as follows:

Refer to appendix 3.1 in T.L. Anderson for derivation of

equation (19).
(*): in ”The Crack Opening Displacement Approach to Fracture
Mechanics in Yielding Materials.”
Journal of Strain Analysis, Vol. 1, 1966, pp. 145-153.

24
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 Comparison of Plastic Zone Corrections
q Estimated plastic zone
ì
ï
ï K I = s pa LEFM
ï
ï
ï
ï s pa
K
í eff = Irwin correction for plane stress
2
ï 1æ s ö
ï 1 - çç ÷÷
ï 2 è s YS ø
ï é8 ù2
1

ï K eff = s YS pa ê ln secç æ ps ö
ç ÷÷ú SY correction The effective K is non-dimensionalized by the term in
ïî ëp è 2s YS øû
2
the denominator on the ordinate axis.
The figure shows a plot of the non-dimensional
effective stress against the normalized stress.
25
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
 LEFM, Irwin and SY
q LEFM analysis predicts a linear relationship between K and stress.

q Both Irwin and SY corrections deviate from the LEFM theory at stresses above a
certain value.

q The two plasticity corrections agree with each other up to a normalized stress
around 0.85.

26
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020
q Home work
3.2, 3.3

q Home work for discussion for next class room exercise

Ø How the small plastic zone treated for plane stress and plane strain case?

Ø What is the reason of using as a condition for

using LEFM?

27
© Wureguli Reheman, BTH, 2020