FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH UNDER MIXED MODES I AND II

Fatigue crack growth behaviour under mixed modes I and II was studied by applying in‐phase alternating tensile and torsional loading to a thin‐walled hollow cylindrical specimen with an initial crack.

In the linear region of a log‐log plot where da/dN=A(ΔK)^m, da/dN at first decreases with increasing ΔK₁₁₀ component and then approaches a minimum close to the value of ΔK₁₁₀/ΔK₁₀∼ 0.58; here ΔK₁₁₀/ΔK₁₀ is the ratio of the initial ΔK_II to the initial ΔK₁., When ΔK₁₁₀/ΔK₁₀ increases further, da/dN increases. Under shear mode, da/dN becomes higher than that under mode I. The ΔK₁, and ΔK₁₁ components during fatigue crack growth under mixed mode loading increase and decrease, respectively, with an increase in da/dN In the low crack growth rate region the fatigue crack growth rates accelerate with an increase of the initial ΔK₁₁ component, ΔK₁₁₀. Fatigue life increases with increase of ΔK₁₁₀/ΔK₁₀ under the test condition of equivalent stress range being kept constant and the pre‐crack length being the same.