A criterion study for non-singular stress concentrations with size effect

Issue title: 11th International Conference on Fracture (ICF11), Torino, Italy, 20–25 March 2005. Mini-Symposium – “Complexity, Scaling and Non-linearity in the Mechanics of Advanced Materials”

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Li, J.^; | Zhang, X.B.

Affiliations: LPMTM, CNRS UPR 9001, Université Paris XIII, 99 Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France | LAMI, Université Blaise Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand, Avenue Aristide Briand, 03100 Montluçon, France

Note: [] Corresponding author: Jia Li, LPMTM, CNRS UPR 9001, Institut Galilée, Université Paris 13, 99 Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France. Tel.: +33 1 49 40 28 89; Fax.: +33 1 49 40 39 38; E-mail: jia.li@lpmtm.univ-paris13.fr.

Abstract: In engineering applications, dealing with the stress concentrations is an important issue. When a stress concentration presents a non-singular feature, the commonly used engineering strength criteria are usually not appropriate to predict the structure failure. In this paper, we first presented a simple experimentation, which consists of a central-holed plate under uniaxial tensile loading. Then we showed that most of commonly used criteria are not suitable for this case of non-singular stress concentration. By analysing the energy dissipation of micro-crack bands under different stress concentrations, we proposed a new fracture criterion based on the finite fracture mechanics. It was shown that this criterion could provide accurate critical remote loads comparing with experimental data. We believe that the three-parameter concept is physically reasonable and can be used in establishing fracture criteria in both the cases of singular and non-singular stress concentrations.

Keywords: Non-singular stress concentration, fracture criteria, PMMA, brittle and quasi-brittle materials, size effect

Journal: Strength, Fracture and Complexity, vol. 3, no. 2-4, pp. 205-215, 2005