Ductile crack growth simulation and effects of crack growth on single-edge notched bend specimens

This paper describes the testing of single-edge notched bend (SENB) specimens, which are used for fracture toughness tests, and the ductile crack initiation from the notch tip of the specimens. All of the specimens exhibited brittle fracture with relatively large ductile crack growth (from 1.0 to 4.8 mm). The paper also shows the ductile crack growth simulation using a damage model (Bonora model) for finite element analysis (FEA). FEA reproduced ductile crack growth observed in the SENB tests and the analysis results showed the effects of the ductile crack growth rate on stress distribution around the crack tips. In addition, the value of the Weibull stress was calculated in the paper, and the Weibull stress slightly decreased if the model had a higher ductile crack growth rate as compared with the model that had a lower ductile crack growth rate.