Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute

Fatigue & Fracture

Presented By

Chetan Fulaware
Contents

◎ Introduction
○ Fatigue
○ Fracture
◎ Literature review
◎ Derivation
◎ Numerical Example
◎ Conclusion
Introduction
◎ Fatigue Def : Fatigue is the response
of a material to dynamic loading
conditions. Components fail under
fluctuation stresses at stress magnitude
which is lower that the ultimate
strength of material. Sometimes, it is
lower than yield strength [1]

◎ Fracture Def: A failure which is the

result of a static overload. It is
described as either ductile or brittle
fracture. [1]
Introduction - History
◎ History of Fatigue
○ In the 1800s, Europe, several investigators observed that bridge
and railroad components were cracking when subjected to
repeated loading. [2]

◎ History of Fracture:
○ It is difficult to identify exactly, however, fracture failures that
cause loss of life have recorded for over 100 years. [2]
◎ A spectacular example of this problem was the S. S. Schenectady,
whose hull completely fractured.
Fatigue
 Literature Review - Fatigue
◎ So how this fatigue takes place ??
The process of fatigue consists of three stages
○ Stage I - crack initiation
○ Stage II - crack propagation
○ Stage III – Sudden fracture

Ref: [2]
◎ Phase I – Crack Initiation
○ Form at the points of maximum local stress and minimum
local strength – e.g. scratches, marks..
○ Occur due to the formation of persistent slip bands (PSB).
○ Slip bands are a result of the systematic build-up of fine slip
movements, on the order of only 1 nm.
◎ The crack initially follows the slip bands at approximately 45° to
the principal stress direction
◎ Becomes perpendicular to the principal stress, and the crack
enters stage II
◎ The crack propagation rate during stage I is very low (1 nm per
cycle)
◎ Consideration of environment-related mechanisms
◎ Its rate and direction of growth are controlled by localized
stresses
◎ Phase II – Crack Propagation
○ When the stage I crack changes direction and propagates in a
direction normal to the applied stress
○ The plateaus are usually normal to the direction of maximum
tensile stress
○ Crack growth proceeds by a continual process of crack sharpening
followed by blunting
○ crack growth often produces a pattern of fatigue striation

(a) (b)
◎ Phase III - Final Fracture
○ Occurs when remaining
cross section can no longer
support the applied load

○ Size of fracture zone

○ Fracture of 2 distinct modes

Research Paper
“Small fatigue crack initiation mechanisms and growth
behavior of 304 stainless steel at room temperature” [3]

◎ Introduction
○ Most of the total fatigue life could be spent in the initiation
and small crack growth stages

○ Fatigue fracture is one of the main causes of failure for these

components due to the dynamic or alternating stresses which
they are often subjected to
 ◎ Experimental Procedure
○ The yield strength and ultimate tensile
strength 297.55 MPa and 668.64MPa

○ Information such as the initiation,

growth and coalescence behavior of
small cracks

○ Using surface replicas and

photomicrographs
Ref: [3]
 ◎ Analysis
○ Eight major cracks
initiated on the specimen

○ Depends on the grain

boundary and the
localization of plastic
deformation

Ref: [3]
 ◎ The slope of the major crack length did not change < 0.2mm
◎ Critical small crack size for the transition to rapid crack growth was
around 0.2mm

Ref: [3]
(a) (b)
◎ Paper - Conclusion
○ Grain boundaries - main factor that influence the growth rates

○ For critical crack size of 0.2 mm, rapid growth of this crack
occurs
 Derivation for Fatigue life
◎
◎ Cracks
  grow from an initial size (ao) to a
critical size (ac)
◎ The crack growth ratio ( ) can be determined
from the slope of the curve
◎ The amount of crack extension per loading
cycle, is correlated with the stress-intensity
parameter (K )
ΔK = Kmax –Kmin
a : flaw or crack size; n : No. of cycles;
C and m are constants related to material variables,
environment, temperature, and fatigue stress c conditions
Ref: [2]
◎ During region II growth in the linear crack growth
region, the Paris law can be used to determine the
number of cycles to failure
○ ΔK can be expressed in terms of Δσ

Y depends on the specific specimen geometry

• To predict the fatigue life of structures

◎ Substitution of the expression for ΔK

It is assumed that Δσ (or σmax − σmin) is constant and that Y

depends on the crack length and therefore cannot be removed
from within the integral.
◎ While solving problem by integrating we will get fatigue
life
 Problem
◎  Calculate fatigue life
Q. The crack growth rate of ferritic/pearlitic steels is given

where ΔK is given in units of MPa√m ., and is in units of

m/cycle. Assume that a part contains an edge crack that is
0.05mm. long. The stresses vary from 0 to 50 Mpa, and the
fractur toughness is 100 MPa√m. Compute the life of the part.

Ref: [2]
◎  Solution:
As we know,
 
𝑑𝑎 𝑚
=𝐶 . ∆ 𝐾
𝑑𝑛
As m =3 from question, and substituting the other values, we get

On integrating, we get
◎ af depends on the fracture toughness and maximum stress
 
1 𝐾 2 1 100 2
𝑎𝑓 = ×( ) = ( ) =1.02
Substituting𝜋this in𝜎above 3.14 1.12
expression × 50
of life gives

◎ Thus, the part is expected to last almost 20,000 cycles

Fracture
 Fracture
◎ Fractures which are the result of a static overload are
described as either ductile or brittle.
◎ Ductile fracture - plastic deformation prior to failure.
◎ Brittle fracture - little plastic deformation prior to
fracture.

Ref: [5]
 Literature Survey - Fracture
◎ Characteristics of Ductile Fracture
○ Considerable gross permanent or plastic deformation in the
region of ductile fracture

○ Ductile fractures proceed only as long as the material is being

strained

○ The characteristic appearance of the surface of a ductile

Ref: [2]
fracture is dull and fibrous
◎ Ductile fractures are those in which the shear stress exceeds
the shear strength before any other mode of fracture can
occur

◎ The narrowing, or necking, indicates that there has been

extensive stretching, or elongation

◎ A ductile fracture starts near the centre of the reduced section

in tensile loading
◎ Slant fracture – Shear lip

◎ A tensile cup-and-cone
fracture originates with
many tiny internal fractures
called micro voids
 ◎ Characteristics of Brittle Fracture
○ Once a brittle crack is initiated, it propagates at the speed of
sound

○ There is no gross permanent or plastic deformation of the

metal in the region of brittle fracture

Ref: [2]
○ The surface of a brittle fracture is perpendicular to the
principal tensile stress

○ Characteristic markings on the fracture surface frequently, but

not always, point back to the location from which the fracture
originated.
 Fracture Mechanics
◎ Fracture mechanics is the science of predicting the
influence of cracks and crack like defects on the fracture
of components.

◎ Fracture mechanics has its origin in the work of A. A.

Griffiths, who proved that the fracture strength of a brittle
material, like glass, is inversely proportional to the square
root of the crack length.

Ref: [4]
 ◎ A crack is regarded as a mathematical section in fracture
mechanics
◎ Three basic crack loading types
○ Mode I
○ Mode II
○ Mode III

Ref: [6]
 ◎ Mode-I - the opening or tensile mode
◎ Mode-II - sliding or in plane shearing mode
◎ Mode-III - tearing mode

Ref: [6]
 Griffith’s theory of Brittle Fracture
◎ A.A.
  Griffith, while testing glass rods, observed that the
longer the rod, the lower the strength.
○ This led to the idea that the strength variation in the glass rods was
due to defects, primarily surface defects
◎ These flaws lower the fracture strength because they amplify
the stress at the crack tip

◎ The stress-concentration factor (Kt) increases with increasing

crack length (a) and decreasing crack radius (ρt). Therefore,
all cracks, if present, should be kept as small as possible.
Ref: [2]
 Problem on fracture
◎ A wall bracket with a rectangular cross-section is shown in Figure. The depth
of the cross-section is twice of the width. The force P acting on the bracket at
600 to the vertical is 5 kN. The material of the bracket is grey cast iron FG
200 and the factor of safety is 3.5. Determine the dimensions of the cross-
section of the bracket such that it should not fracture. Assume maximum
normal stress theory of failure.

Ref: [4]
◎ Solution
◎ 
Given P, load = 5 kN
Sut = 200 N/ mm2 , FOS = 3.5, Height to Width ratio of c/s = 2
◎ Step I
Calculation of permissible stress
max =Sut/ FOS = 200/3.5 = 57.14 N/
◎ Step II
The force P is resolved into two components—horizontal component Ph and vertical component Pv.
Ph = P sin 60° = 5000 sin 60° = 4330.13 N
Pv = P cos 60° = 5000 cos 60° = 2500 N
The bending moment at the section XX is given by
Mb = Ph x 150 + Pv x 300
= 4330.13 x 150 + 2500 x 300
= 1399.52 x N-mm
◎
◎ 
◎ The direct tensile stress due to component Ph is given by,

The vertical component Pv induces shear stress at the section XX. It is however
small and neglected.
◎ Step III
Calculation of dimensions of c/s. The resultant tensile stress s max. at the point A is
given by
= +
– 37.89 t – 36739.24 = 0
t = 33.65 mm 35 mm
The dimensions of the cross-section to avoid fracture are 35 x 70 mm.
Conclusion
◎ Fatigue cracks form at the point(s) of maximum local
stress and minimum local strength
◎ Most of the total fatigue life could be spent in the crack
initiation
◎ Three basic crack loading modes exist for all cracks
appearing in components and structures
◎ Surface defects like flaws lower the fracture strength
because they amplify the stress at the crack tip
References

[1] Engineering Materials, V. B. John, Chapter 10

[2] Fatigue and Fracture Understanding the Basics by F. C. Campbell, 2012
edition,
[3] Paper: Small fatigue crack initiation mechanisms and growth behaviour of
304 stainless steel at room temperature, Author: G.J. Deng, S.T. Tu, X.C.
Zhang, Q.Q. Wang, F.Z. Xuan
[4] Design of machine elements by V. B. Bhandari, Page 151
[5] Springer series, Solid Mechanics and Its Applications, Volume 227, ‘Fatigue
Crack Growth’ , Hans Albert Richard, Manuela Sander,
[6] ‘Mechanical Behavior of Materials’, Engineering Methods for Deformation,
Fracture, and Fatigue, Fourth Edition, Norman E. Dowling, Page 344
Thank You