Three Dimensional Analysis Of Non-Planar Crack Propagation Problems

Energy, defence, aeronautics and space technologies are critical for countries and they are the leading areas which promote and require development of science and technology. In these areas, where research, development and investment costs are high, it is very important to use appropriate materials and parts from the points of economics and part reliability. In recent years, studies performed to minimize damages in materials and to ensure a safe operation of the structures have gained importance from the perspective of fracture mechanics. Improvement studies have been performed by estimating life and damage/crack tolerances of structures starting from the design stage. In this study, an inclined crack is inserted to the standard CT (compact tension) specimen that is used to determine mode-I fracture toughness (KIC) of cracked structures. Three-dimensional modeling and crack propagation analyses are performed under mode-I external loading. Fracture and crack propagation analyses are performed using FCPAS (Fracture and Crack Propagation Analysis System) software. This study is the first step for modeling of three-dimensional crack propagation problems