The effects of specimen thickness, stress intensity levels and R ratio following single tensile overloads, multiple overloads and overload/underload events have been investigated in a BS4360 Grade 50D steel. The amount of fatigue crack growth retardation increased with both decreasing applied baseline AK and increasing overload block size. Smaller increases in retardation were obtained for overload/underload block events compared with block overloads. The data suggests that crack flank plasticity resulting in crack closure adequately accounts for much of the observed behaviour. Near crack tip plasticity was thought to play a more important role in generating crack closure than that remote from the crack tip.Keywords-BS4360 (50D) steel; Overload/underload block retardation; Specimen thickness effects; R-ratio effects; Plasticity induced closure NOMENCLATURE B = specimen thickness K -= minimum stress intensity factor K,,, = maximum stress intensity factor K,, = crack closure stress intensity factor P,, = crack closure load AK = stress intensity factor range R = ratio of K,, to K , AKB =baseline stress intensity factor range
A small punch test method has been developed utilising 3mm diameter discs. Experiments have been conducted on three structural steels and one high strength offshore steel. The relationships between data derived from the punch test load displacement curves and uniaxial tensile, fracture toughness and Charpy tests were explored. The work has highlighted a need for standardisation of the test method and of specimen sizes if further progress is to be made.
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