EFFECT OF LOCAL HETEROGENEITY ON FRACTURE DRIVING FORCES

Traditional fracture theories infer the local crack growth driving forces by surveying the mechanical response far from the crack. Although this approach has successfully predicted fracture by assuming isotropic and homogeneous materials, local heterogeneity such microstructural heterogeneity can affect fracture response. This presentation will evaluate the differences between the local and far field driving forces using different microstructure-sensitive modelling approaches. We will demonstrate the effects of grain size and crystallographic orientation gradients on crack tip blunting and microplasticity variability. We will also explore the role of microstructures as a buffer between the local and far fields considering the propagation of uncertainty from constitutive models into fracture prognosis. To conclude, we will discuss the implications for traditional experimental methods based on far field measurements smearing out important crack tip variability.
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