A finite crack growth energy release rate for elastic-plastic fracture

The concept of energy release rate proposed by Griffith originally used for elastic brittle material was extended for ductile material by Irwin and Orowan using the sum of the surface energy and the work of plastic dissipation as fracture resistance. This fracture resistance, however, depends on the load type and specimen geometry, which hinders its wide application. In contrast, in this paper, a finite crack growth energy release rate is proposed by assuming a finite crack growth, which is conveniently applicable to finite element analysis. The effect of the plastic dissipation on the crack growth is considered in the driving force. Elastic-plastic finite element analysis is used to apply the present energy release rate. Compared to the experiment results, it is shown that for a fixed finite crack growth, a constant critical energy release rate can well predict the stable crack growths and residual strengths of sheets with single and various collinear cracks subjected to different types of loads. The present finite crack growth energy release rate is conceptually simple, has a solid physical foundation, and would be appealing for ductile crack growth analysis.