Fatigue crack growth and closure behaviour under multiaxial loading

AbstractThe three dimensional finite- element analysis of fatigue crack growth and closure was used to investigate crack- opening and closure stresses of elastic-perfectly plastic Aluminium 2024 alloy under constant amplitude crack extensions.. The 3D analysis was applied to the middle-crack specimen with a specified thickness value under multiaxial and uniaxial loadings. Then, crackopening and closure stresses and the v-displacements of nodes on the crack surface plane for both multiaxial and uniaxial cases were investigated.The finite element analysis was developed using isoparametric eight nodded hexahedron elements. The plasticity part of the program uses initial stress approach. In the analysis, the crack was advanced one element size as the applied load reached the maximum Value of each load cycle