Int J Fract (2014) 187:187197
DOI 10.1007/s10704-013-9924-2
BRIEF NOTE
On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics
G. Pluvinage J. Capelle
Received: 20 November 2013 / Accepted: 17 December 2013 / Published online: 29 January 2014
Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
Abstract In this paper, four kinds of characteristic
length parameters used in a local notch fracture crite-
rion are presented: (1) a characteristic length c gener-
ally connecting to the notch radius, (2) a characteris-
tic distance Xc considered as intrinsic to material and
connected to the microstructure, (3) a critical distance
d0 considered as intrinsic to material and connected to
the fracture process zone, (4) an effective distance Xef
considered as a characteristic of the stress distribution.
Each approach is discussed. The paper ends with the
authors opinion about the different methods.
Keywords Characteristic length Effective distance
Notch radius Notch plastic zone Constraint Loading
mode
1 Introduction
Fracture criteria are divided into two families: global
and local. Global criteria are related to external loads
or work done, while local criteria are related to stress,
strain or strain energy density distribution at defect
tip (crack, crack like defects or notch like defects).
Local fracture criteria are based on an accurate descrip-
tion of stress, strain or strain energy density in a close
G. Pluvinage (B) J. Capelle
LaBPS - Ecole Nationale dIngnieurs de Metz, 1 route
dArs Laquenexy, 57078 Metz, France
e-mail: pluvina@univ-metz.fr
volume to the defect promoting fracture. The majority
are based on two local parameters: the first in terms
of fracture stress, strain or strain energy density, and
the second as a characteristic length parameter. New
trends incorporate a third parameter like constraint for
example (Meliani et al. 2011).
Local stress fracture criterion was first suggested by
Neuber (1937), but later there appeared local fracture
criteria based on strain energy density or local fracture
strain in addition to local stress.
Guillemot (1965) postulated that the strain energy
density for fracture Wc in a local volume is a material
constant, which can be evaluated as the area of the stress
strain curve for a smooth specimen until fracture. This
local volume is a small cylinder of diameter Xc and
height l0 according to the concept of micro-sample. The
micro-sample length l0 is related to the critical strain
energy release rate Gc by the following relationship:
Gc
l0 = (1)
Wc
Later Sih (1974) proposed a similar criterion.
Assuming that the stress distribution at crack tip is
given by Irwins solution Irwin (1948), he computes
the so-called strain energy density factor S,
 which
 is a
function of stress intensity factors S = f K i2 , where
Ki are stress intensity factors of one of the three frac-
ture modes (i = 1, 2, 3). Notably, this strain energy
density factor is independent of r distance and partic-
ularly characteristic distance Xc . Therefore, the local
fracture criteria needs only one parameter, the critical
123
188
strain energy density factor Sc . The same approach was
also used by Irwin in order to avoid the problem of the
critical distance by introducing the concept of stress
intensity factor.
In this case, the product of the stress and the square
root of the corresponding distance is a constant inde-
pendent of distance. However, to transform a local two
parameters fracture criterion into a single parameter is
only possible if the defect tip distribution is ruled by a
single parameter.
More recently, Lazzarin and Berto (2005) proposed
the averaged strain energy density criterion (SED),
which states that brittle failure occurs when the aver-
age value of the strain energy density W over a control
volume (which becomes an area in two dimensional
cases) is equal to a critical value.
They distinguish two cases: a sharp and a blunt
notch.
For a sharp notch loaded in mode I where the notch
radius is zero, W , is a function of the notch stress inten-
sity factor K .
 
I1 K 2
W = . (2)
4E1 ( ) do11 Xef ) can be written in the following generalised form
where E is the Young modulus, 1 the stress singularity
exponent, I1 a geometrical function, half of the notch
angle and d0 the critical distance related to material
characteristic.
For a blunt notch W is a function of the maximum
stress max .
 
d0 2 stress corresponding to a characteristic length on stress
W = F (2) H 2, . max (3)
E distribution was introduced by Peterson (1959). Whit-
H and F two geometrical functions. Strain energy den-
sity for the notch is obtained through the stress distrib-
ution solution proposed by Filippi et al. (2002), where
the origin is at distance ro from the notch tip:
( 2)
r0 = (4)
(2 2)
is the notch radius. We note that when 2 = 0 (U
notch) r0 = /2, which is the value introduced in the
Creager and Paris solution (Creager and Paris 1967).
In two dimensional cases, the fracture process volume
is the part of a circle area centred at distance r0 to the
notch tip and outside of the notch.
Osborne and Embury (1973) considering that strain
distribution at the notch tip exhibits a 1/r singularity,
assumed that fracture occurs when local fracture strain
123
G. Pluvinage, J. Capelle
lf at a critical distance equal to local strain fracture in
plane strain.
The concept of micro sample at the notch tip was
used in order to connect critical COD c and local frac-
ture strain Pluvinage and Montariol (1971) by the fol-
lowing relationship:
c = l0 lf (5)
The micro sample length is often taken as l0 = 2.
Effective stress based on average stress over a char-
acteristic length was earlier considered by Neuber
(1937) and related to the notch radius. The failure crite-
rion, proposed by Novozhilov (1969) and expanded by
Seweryn (1994), suggests considering the mean normal
stress along the anticipated path of the failure. Thus,
failure occurs when the average stress equals a mater-
ial dependent value, denoted by c , which is the failure
stress. The average stress is considered along the effec-
tive distance Xef , the critical distance d0 or the char-
acteristic distance Xc , according to the authors. This
method is sometimes called the line method (Taylor
2004).
The fracture criterion (when using effective distance
including mixed mode of fracture:
1 Xe f
max (r ) dr = c (6)
Xef < 0
where c is the failure stress, the circumferential
stress, r and polar coordinates.
Local fracture criterion based on a characteristic
ney and Nuismer (1974) proposed this criterion with
the following form:
 
max min (r ) = c (7)
< 0r X e f
where c is another characteristic stress. This appro-
ach is called the point method (PM) (Taylor 2004).
Pluvinage (2001) proposed averaging the stress dis-
tribution over the entire process volume Vef . Then, the
fracture criterion has the following form:

1
yy (x, y, z) . (x, y, z) d V = c (8)
Ve f
where (x) and yy (x) are relative stress gradient and
opening stress or maximum principal stress along the
notch tip, respectively, Vef the fracture process volume
On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics
and a weight function. This method is called volu-
metric method (VM).
We note that according to different approaches, four
kinds of characteristic length parameters can be used
in a local fracture criterion:
a characteristic length c generally connecting to
the notch radius,
a characteristic distance Xc considered as intrinsic
to material and connected to the microstructure,
a critical distance d0 considered as intrinsic to mate-
rial and connected to the fracture process zone,
an effective distance Xef considered as a character-
istic of the stress distribution.
These characteristic length parameters play exactly
the same role in point, line or area methods, and the
choice of this characteristic length parameter differs
according to different models. In addition, in each
model, formulae and definition of the length parameter
can be different.
The objective of this paper is to examine these dif-
ferent length parameters and to show their advantages
and their limitations. It can be considered a contribution
given according to research works and opinion of the
authors which are more sensitive to the use of effective
distance. However, an important part of research in this
field is based on characteristic distance.
More precisely, this paper examines the relation-
ships between characteristic length and the notch
radius, grain size, plastic zone and the minimum of
the relative stress gradient.
Fig. 1 Influence of the notch radius on critical stress of axisym-
metric tensile specimens made from steel (Kaechele and Tetel-
man 1969)
189
The intrinsic character of the local fracture stress is
also an open question. It is not the object of the paper,
but Fig. 1 indicates the dependence of critical stress and
constraint through the notch radius of axisymmetric
tensile specimens made from steel. These results have
been obtained by Kaechele and Tetelman (1969), who
consider that critical stress can be identified with the
maximum of the notch tip stress distribution.
2 Characteristic length connecting to notch radius
It is obvious that the fracture process zone is the high
stressed area. Hence, the question is to know the limit
of this zone. The high stressed area incorporates the
maximum stress for physical reason mainly connected
to the idea of a high stressed area.
When we consider the distribution at the notch tip,
the position of the maximum stress rmax depends on
the stress strain behaviour: the maximum stress is pre-
cisely at the notch tip for an elastic behaviour, at a cer-
tain distance behind the notch for an elastic plastic one.
Creager and Paris (1967) postulated that this maximum
is constant over a distance r /2. The stress distribu-
tion is governed by the (crack) stress intensity factor at
distance r > /2. The associated characteristic length
is therefore c = /2. Experimental results obtained
by Saghafi et al. (2010) indicate that the relationship
between effective distance and half of the notch radius
is satisfied for the brittle material PMMA at 60 C
(Fig. 2).
If we consider an elastic perfectly plastic behaviour
and apply the slip lines theory, the distance of maximum
stress from notch tip is given by this equation
    
rmax 2
ln 1 + = 1+ (9)
2 2
For U notch with parallel sides, distance rmax is equal to
3.81 with the notch radius and 2 the notch angle.
In this case, the characteristic length is several times
the notch radius according to the slip lines model.
For elastic-plastic material, finite element results
provide the relationship between the notch radius and
the effective distance given by VM (Pluvinage 2001).
This relationship deviates from the Creager and Paris
relationship Xef = /2 and is replaced by the follow-
ing:
X e f =C + B (10)
123
190
Fig. 2 Effective distance versus the notch radius for PMMA at
60 C (Saghafi 2010)
Fig. 3 Relationship between the effective distance and notch
root radius for Al 7175-T74 (Kim et al. 2004)
where C and B are constants. Experimental results from
Akourri et al. (2005) on ferritic steel XC38, Kim et al.
(2004) on aluminum alloy Al 7175-T74 (Fig. 3) and
austenitic steel 17-4 PH and El Minor et al. (2003) on
high strength steel 45SCD5 confirm that the effective
distance Xef increases linearly with the notch radius.
According to these experimental results, the character-
istic length is of the same order of magnitude as the
notch radius. The Creagers value characteristic length
equal to half the notch radius seems a very good approx-
imation for very brittle materials. For ductile material,
Akourri et al. (2005) have found a linear relationship
between effective distance and effective stress and the
notch fracture criterion can be reduced to one parame-
ter. This relationship is not general and for more ductile
material, it loses its validity. For very ductile material,
123
G. Pluvinage, J. Capelle
the distance equal to half of the notch radius is less than
the distance where the maximum stress occurs. In this
case, it does not take into account the most stressed
region at the crack tip and lose its physical meaning.
Finally, in this category one considers only the charac-
teristic length equal to half the notch radius.
3 Characteristic distance related to material
properties
3.1 Characteristic distance connected to
microstructural unit
For very brittle material, the fracture process zone
is related to the microstructural unit. A model of
cleavage triggering indicates that dislocations pile-up
on grain boundaries explain the mechanism of brittle
fracture (ZenerStroh). Other mechanisms (Almond
Smith) associate cleavage to carbides size and inter
inclusions distance.
Characteristic distance connected to grain size is the
basis of the Ritchie et al. (1973) local stress fracture
criterion (RKR). This criterion belongs to PM as we
can see in Fig. 4. The characteristic distance Xc is equal
to grain size dg :Xc = dg (or: Xc = 2dg Ritchie et al.
1973).
This criterion is devoted not to the notch but to the
crack and is used for very brittle material where the
characteristic length is very small.
A good correlation between characteristic distance
and cleavage initiation site was demonstrated by
Fig. 4 Description of the Ritchie, Knott and Rice local stress
fracture criterion (Ritchie et al. 1973)
On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics 191

Fig. 5 a Origin of cleavage

determined by the centre of
the river pattern. b Fracture
appearance of specimen. FC
material

Pluvinage et al. (1999) on a CrMoV rotor steel. Two

types of microstructures were selected: ferrite with
fine carbides (FC) and ferrite with coarse carbides.
For the FC microstructure, no distinct initiation sites
were found on one cleavage facet; the fracture sur-
face exhibits macroscopic river patterns. This pattern
originates from a small spot on the fracture surface,
as seen in Fig. 5a, which contains one or a few cleav-
age facets. For microstructure with coarse carbides, the
river patterns are traced to the initiation region. In both
cases, the centre of the river pattern was assumed to
coincide with the origin of cleavage initiation. Dis-
location pile-up micro mechanisms of cleavage were Fig. 6 Relationship between effective distance Xef and charac-
assumed. teristic distance XC (CrMoV rotor steel)
Figure 6 indicates that the agreement between effec-
tive distance Xef obtained from VM and the lowest dis-
Eq. (11) is modified in order to provide the critical dis-
tance for cleavage initiation XC,min is good.
tance d0
 
KIc 2
d0 = (12)
3.2 Critical distance connected to fracture process c
zone KIc is the plane strain material fracture toughness,
whereas the inherent material fracture strength under
We consider for physical reasons that the fracture static loading. c is upper but close to ultimate strength
process zone is associated with the plastic or dam- and is sometimes replaced by the ultimate strength u .
aged zone. Crack critical plastic zone Ry is related to is a parameter which is different from that found by
two material characteristics: fracture toughness KIc and other authors.
yield stress y . In the literature several values of can be found
  and they are all relative to brittle material with elastic
KIc 2
Ry = (11) behaviour until fracture. Some are function of notch
y
angle and type of notch (U or V).
is a parameter, which depends on the state of stress Seweryn (1994) using the Novozhilov (1969) local
(plane stress or plane strain), and is only valid for an failure criterion proposed using the value of = 2.
elastic perfectly plastic behaviour. For a strain harden- Following this idea, Taylor (2004), in the theory of
ing material and to take into account constraint effect, critical distance, suggested using a definition of the crit-

123
192
ical distance close to the value of the plane stress plas-
tic zone size and = 1.
Yosibash et al. (2004) postulated that for fracture
SED, W* is independent of the notch opening angle
2 then for 2 = 0 (a crack) and for 2 = (a flat
specimen). If this assumption holds for a specific inte-
gration radius then the characteristic distance is given
by:
 
(1 + ) (5 8 ) KIc 2
d0 = in plane strain (13)
4 c
 
(5 3 ) KIc 2
d0 = in plane stress (14)
4 c
and = 0, 845 ( Poissons ratio). Tovo and Livieri
(2008) proposed that constant is equal to 0.545, and
= 3.14 for Gmez and Elices (2004). Leguillon
(2001) proposed a criterion for failure initiation at a
sharp V-notch based on a combination of the Griffith
energy criterion for a crack, and the strength criterion
for a straight edge. This approach is based on the change
of the potential energy in a notched specimen due to
the creation of a small crack in the direction 0 , which
generates maximum change in potential energy. Here,
as well, a critical distance is introduced, which is the
length of the virtual created crack.
 
( (0 ))2 K I c 2 value and the ratio of the two extreme values ( = 3.14
d0 = . (15)
K (2 ) c and = 0.545) is about 6.
K(2) is a parameter depending on notch angle 2.
In Leguillons approach, the characteristic distance
depends on the notch angle, but its value is close to
the Yoshibash solution.
Previous values of critical distance are used for pre-
diction of the fracture of brittle materials, where frac-
ture stress is close to yield stress. Then, a compari-
son between notch plastic zone and critical distance
can be made. It has been shown (Pluvinage 2003) that
the notch plastic zone depends on the notch radius. It
decreases when the notch radius decreases.
The size of the notch plastic zone R may also be
expressed by the following relationship:
 
K ,c 2
R = A (16)
y try, loading mode, etc. In procedure describe in Taylor
where A is a constant, K,c the notch fracture toughness
and y the yield stress.
In Fig. 7, the evolution of A constant is reported
not versus the notch radius, but versus the elastic stress
concentration factor kt . We note that a negative power
123
G. Pluvinage, J. Capelle
Fig. 7 Evolution of A constant versus elastic stress concentra-
tion. Low strength steel (Pluvinage 2003). Comparison of A con-
stant (Eq. 16) with (Eq. 12)
function describes A evolution. The notch plastic zone
has been computed by FE method using the Von Mises
plasticity criterion and increasing notch fracture tough-
ness with notch radius having been taken into account.
The material is a low strength steel. In the same fig-
ure, the values proposed by Gmez and Elices (2004)
( = 3.14), Seweryn (1994) ( = 2), Taylor (2004)
( = 1) and Yosibash et al. (2004) ( = 0.845) or Tovo
and Livieri (2008) = 0.545) are also reported. The A
constant for a crack, trends to value ( = 1). Two values
( = 0.845 or = 0.545) are lower than the asymptotic
For very brittle materials, the characteristic distance
is physically related to the grain size (but not neces-
sarily one, two and sometimes 10 grain size) and con-
sequently intrinsic to material. Other materials, such
as composites, polymers, wood, etc., are not formed by
conventional grains. Therefore, the characteristic dis-
tance value is related to other internal microstructural
barriers.
For less brittle material, the grain size is a distance
too small to be greater than the maximum stress dis-
tance. Its use as characteristic distance leads to a loss of
physical meaning. Then, it is preferable to use a critical
distance connected to the fracture process zone.
It is also generally assumed that this length is intrin-
sic to material and independent from notch geome-
(2004), this assumption is made and critical distance
is the same for a sharp or a blunt notch (Fig. 8). This
assumption is also valid for the effective stress at fail-
ure. In the next section, this assumption is discussed in
detail.
On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics
Fig. 8 Procedure to determine the characteristic length and the
inherent material strength according to Taylor (2004). We note
that this procedure is only valid for brittle materials
The use of different values of , as reported in Fig. 7,
affects the intrinsic character of critical distance and
failure stress c . For brittle material, stress distribution
at the notch tip and for a distance x > Xef is governed
by a singular stress distribution with a r dependence
and d0 > Xef . In this part, the product:
c . (d0 ) = cst (17)
For a blunt notch Lazzarin and Tovo (1996) eval-
uated the linear elastic stress fields in the neighbor-
hood of cracks and notches with an analytical solution
according to Muskhelishvilis method based on com-
plex stress functions. They indicated that stress distri-
bution recovers the r dependence for a distance x >
0.1 mm.
Table 1 gives some values of critical distance accord-
ing to materials. Values of d0 are relatively small
because the validity of theory of critical distance has
been checked only for brittle material. In this case do
is of the same order as characteristic distance Xc and
the behaviour of the material is practically elastic until
fracture.
Figure 9 gives the stress elastic distribution from
Lazzarin and Tovo (1996), at the notch tip of a PMMA
Table 1 Critical distance for different materials
Material References d0 (mm)
PMMA (at 60 C) Gmez and Elices (2004) 0.074
PMMA Livieri (2008) 0.090
PMMA Saghafi (2010) 0.086
Alumina-7 % Zirconia Gogotsi (2003) 0.034
193
Fig. 9 Stress distribution at the notch tip from Lazzarin and
Tovo (1996). Range of do values indicates that they are inside
the region where Eq. 14 is valid
specimen. Distance do is in the range [0.010.1] for
PMMMA according to different authors.
The maximum stress is precisely at the notch tip
and is then included in the fracture process zone and
satisfies the concept fracture process zone as the high
stressed region. We note in Fig. 9 that the condition
d0 < Xef is only fulfilled for brittle material.
4 Effective distance related to stress distribution
In the VM (Pluvinage 2003), the effective distance is
considered as a characteristic of the stress distribution.
The VM is a local fracture criterion, which postulates
that fracture process requires a certain volume. This
volume is a cylindrical volume with effective distance
as its diameter and thickness as its height. The physical
meaning of this fracture process volume is the high
stressed region where the necessary fracture energy is
stored. The difficulty is to find the limit of this high
stressed region. The limit is a priori not a material con-
stant but depends on loading mode, structure geometry
and load level. The size of the fracture process volume
reduces to the effective distance according to the above
mentioned assumptions and is obtained by analysis of
the stress distribution.
Material References d0 (mm)
PVC Livieri (2008) 0.066
Y-PSZ Yosibash et al. (2004) 0.022
Si3N4 Yosibash et al. (2004) 0.018
Martensitic steel Mehran et al. (2012) 0.090
123
194
Fig. 10 Stress distribution at notch tip (Elastic plastic material).
Determination of effective stress Xef by relative stress gradient
procedure. Comparison of effective distance with notch plastic
zone for a brittle material Ry (1) and a ductile one Ry (2)
A graphical or numerical method associated with
relative stress gradient is used to determine effec-
tive distance as inflexion point on opening stress dis-
tribution. The minimum of relative stress gradient
coincides with this inflexion point.
The effective stress for fracture is then considered
as the average volume of the stress distribution over the
effective distance. However, stresses are multiplied by
a weight function in order to take into account stress
gradient due to geometry and loading mode.
The bi-logarithmic elastic-plastic stress distribution
(Fig. 10) along the ligament exhibits three distinct
zones which can be easily distinguished. The elasto-
plastic stress primarily increases and attains a peak
value, and then gradually drops to the effective dis-
tance (zone I) and after to the elastic-plastic regime
(zone II). Zone III represents linear behaviour in the
bi-logarithmic diagram. It has been proven by exami-
nation of fracture initiation sites that the effective dis-
tance corresponds to the beginning of zone III, which
is in fact an inflexion point on this bi-logarithmic stress
distribution. A graphical method based on the relative
Table 2 Effective distance for different materials
Material Yield stress (MPa)
XC 38 Osborne and Embury (1973) 304
CrMoV Rotor steel Pluvinage et al. (1999) 771
Al-Zn-Mg-cu Vratnica et al. (2010) 283.3
Al 7175-T74 Kim et al. (2004) 499
17-4PH Kim et al. (2004) 1170
123
G. Pluvinage, J. Capelle
stress gradient associated the effective distance with
the minimum of .
The relative stress gradient is given by:
1 yy(r )
(r ) = . (18)
yy(r ) r
where (r) and yy (r) are the relative stress gradient
and maximum principal stress or crack opening stress,
respectively. The effective stress for fracture is then
considered as the average volume of the stress distrib-
ution over the effective distance.
Effective distances listed in Table 2 are greater than the
critical distances listed in Table 1.
They are relative to more ductile materials than those
listed in Table 1. However effective distance is always
greater than the maximum stress distance, no matter
the ductility of the material. For very brittle material,
critical distance is less than the maximum stress dis-
tance.
For these reasons, the length parameters are not com-
parable.
Effective distance is associated with the stress dis-
tribution which is sensitive to constraint.
Consequently, effective distance is also sensitive
to constraint. Several parameters have been used to
describe it: the constraint parameter L (Dowling and
Towley 1975), the stress triaxiality (Clausmeyer et al.
1991), the Q parameter (ODowd and Shih 1991) and
T Stress (Betegon and Hancock 1991).
T stress has been used as a constraint parameter
because it represents the modification of lateral con-
traction owing to diminution of Poissons effect. T
stress is one of the characteristics of stress distribu-
tion at the crack or notch tip. For example, the elastic
stress fields in a region surrounding the crack tip can
be characterised by the following solution (Williams
1957)
KI
i j = f i j ( )+T xi x j + A3 2r + O (r ) (19)
2r
Notch radius (mm) Effective distance (mm)
0.152.0 15
0.25 0.38
0.151.0 0.382.64
0.04.0 0.81.2
0.02.0 1.21.45
On characteristic lengths used in notch fracture mechanics
Fig. 11 Evolution of T stress versus distance over ligament.
Charpy V specimen made in X65 pipe steel
where K I is the stress intensity factor, f i j ( ) is the
angular function, i j is the symbol of Kroneckers
determinant. A polar coordinate system (r, ) with an
origin at the crack tip is used. The second term is called
the T -stress. T-stress is constant stress acting parallel
to the crack line in the directionxx of the crack exten-
sion with a magnitude proportional to the gross stress.
The non-singular term T may be a tensile or a com-
pressive stress. Positive T -stress strengthens the level
of crack tip stress triaxiality and leads to high crack
tip constraint, while negative T -stress leads to the loss
of constraint. Several methods have been proposed in
literature to determine the T-stress for cracked speci-
men. The stress difference method has been proposed
by Yang and Ravi-Chandar (1999). In this method, the
T-stress is evaluated from stress distribution on the line
of crack extension. Generally computed by finite ele-
ment method, it is the difference between stress xx
parallel to crack plane and opening stress yy .
For a notch, T stress is not constant along the lig-
ament as we can see in Fig. 11. T stress results have
been obtained by finite element method and are rela-
tive to a Charpy V specimen at critical load and for a
temperature below transition temperature.
The material behaviour is assumed to be elastic plas-
tic. After some distance, T stress increases slowly with
distance. Effective T stress is defined as the T stress
value at distance Xef given by VM Tef = T(Xef ). T-
stress distribution along the ligament (r) in the xx direc-
tion is obtained by stress different method (Yang
 and
Ravi-Chandar 1999) T = Tx x = x x yy =0 .
Effective distance has been determined for four
kinds of specimens used to determine fracture tough-
ness compact tension (CT), double cantilever beam
195
Fig. 12 Evolution of the effective distance versus effective T
stress for a X52 steel pipe. Values obtained from four specimen
types (CT, SENT, DCB and RT)
(DCB), single edge notch tensile (SENT) and roman
tile (RT). These specimens provide a large range of Tef
stress from negative to positive values. We note that
DCB specimen exhibits only positive values of T stress.
The same kind of specimens have different ligament
size and then exhibit different Tef values. Effective dis-
tance has been plotted versus effective T stress, accord-
ing to specimen type and ligament size (Fig. 12). We
note that Xef increases when the constraint increases
from negative to positive values. Effective distance is
therefore not intrinsic to material but sensitive to con-
straint through stress distribution.
5 Conclusion
Local stress fracture criteria are associated with two
parameters: scale length of the fracture volume process
and a local fracture stress. Four kinds of approaches
of this scale length can be found and given different
names, but their use in a local stress fracture criterion
is the same. The stress distribution is averaged over this
scale length to give the failure stress (line method) or
the failure stress corresponding to the value of the stress
distribution for this length (PM). One distinguishes:
a characteristic length c generally equal to half the
notch radius,
a characteristic distance Xc considered as intrinsic
to material and connected to microstructure,
a critical distance d0 considered as intrinsic to mate-
rial and connected to damage zone,
an effective distance Xef considered as a character-
istic of the stress distribution.
123
196
These different approaches increase the complexity
of the choice of the right scale parameter.
This choice can be guided by the following consid-
erations:
The fracture process zone incorporates the maxi-
mum stress according to the concept fracture process
zone is the highest stressed region.
The scale length is not intrinsic to material but
depends on notch geometry, loading mode, constraint
etc.
The first consideration is generally fulfilled if the
material is very brittle or brittle and every approach
can be used. However, they do not provide the same
value of fracture stress. Then, transferability problem
occurs when measuring failure stress on a specimen
and applying it to predict the fracture of a structure or
component.
If the material is ductile, characteristic length or crit-
ical distance does not satisfy the concept of high stress
region and cannot be applied. The high stressed region
is too small in the first case and too large in the sec-
ond case. This fulfils the concept of effective distance,
which is sensitive to constraint. The local fracture stress
is therefore sensitive to constraint. However, to sepa-
rate effect of constraint on effective distance and local
fracture stress remains an open question.
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