Growth and coalescence of fatigue cracks at weld toes in steel

摘要: Abstract The early fatigue growth of cracks starting from defects at the toe good-quality manual and automatic steel T-plate welds was investigated. Evolution aspect ratios rates were monitored, linear elastic fracture mechanics models propagation developed. It found that small-crack effects caused by crack closure, weld metal microstructure notch plasticity, together with uncertainty associated random initiation coalescence microcracks, made any deterministic modeling less than a i = 0·3 mm impossible. Fatigue on developed much smaller ratios, grew faster, welds. Models evolution both are presented discussed, life predictions compared experimental results.