Assignment No.

2
DAFF

1. Predict the failure mode and load of the cantilever beam of thickness 5 mm as shown in Figure 1.
Assume the fracture toughness and yield stress as 30 MPa√m and 300 MPa. What is the failure
mode if the yield stress is doubled? Assume nominal stress at the crack as M/Z where M is the
bending moment and Z is the section modulus = 400 mm3. SIF for the edge crack is KI = 1.12√(πa).
2 Consider a plate with an edge crack (see figure 2). The plate thickness is such that a plane
strain condition is present. Given: W = 1000 mm; stress intensity factor KI = C √(πa)
where C = 1.12
Material Yield Strength, Tensile Strength Plane Strain
MPa MPa Fracture Toughness,
Sy N/mm3/2
Steel 4340 1470 1820 1500
Maraging steel 1730 1850 2900
Al 7075 – T6 500 560 1040

Answer the next questions for the three materials given in the table above:
a) Does fracture occur at a stress σ = (2/3) Sy and a crack length a = 1 mm?
b) What is the critical defect size at a stress σ = (2/3) Sy ?
c) What is the maximum stress for a crack length a = 1 mm without permanent consequences?
3 Apply Irwin’s plasticity correction for the case of 5 mm thick and 80 mm wide plate containing an
edge crack of 20 mm and determine the plastic zone size and effective crack length and effective
stress intensity factor. The plate is loaded in Mode I with a far field stress of 150 MPa and the yield
strength of the material is 350 MPa. The stress intensity factor (SIF) is indicated in the Figure 3.
4 A cylindrical pressure vessel, with a diameter of 6.1 m and a wall thickness of 25.4 mm, underwent
a failure when the internal pressure reached 17.5 MPa. The material properties are as under:
E = 210 GPa, Sy = 2450 MPa and GC = 131 kJ/m2.
i) Using von Mises criteria assess whether the failure is due to yielding
ii) Based on Griffith's analysis assess the failure and determine the size of crack that might have
caused this failure, stating assumptions that you have made.
5 Determine KI for the problem as shown in the sketch wherein pressure distribution on the cracked
face of an infinite plate is as shown in Figure 4.
6. What is a singularity? What kind of singularity describes stress field near the vicinity of a crack tip
in LEFM? Is it expected to be different for elastic plastic fracture mechanics?
7. Mode I case has been solved for biaxial case and its stress and displacement fields are taken to be
approximately same as of uniaxial case. Justify this statement.
8. Show that ∅ = − Re , chosen for mode II problem, satisfies the biharmonic equation.
Determine stress components and displacement components (plane stress)in terms of
9. A crack of 3 mm length is emanated from the surface of a 50 mm diameter hole in a large plate
(Figure 5). Compute the maximum stress σ that would not grow the crack (KIC = 55 MPa√m, Sy = 300
MPa, E = 207 GPa.
10. A steel flat (KIC = 90 MPa√m, Sy = 700 MPa) is being considered as a structural member of a
pedestrian bridge over a busy street. The flat is 100 mm high and 40 mm thick, and the main load
on the flat is bending moment. If there is an edge crack on the tension side, draw a curve for
allowable bending moment vs crack length.
 Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3
Figure 4

Figure 5