Equivalent CTOD Ratio β for Engineering Assessment of CTOD Correction for Constraint Loss

The critical CTOD δ_WP for structural components associated with plastic constraint loss in case of the brittle fracture over small-scale yielding condition can be corrected from CTOD fracture toughness δ by means of the “equivalent CTOD ratio β” defined as δ/δ_WP, which is based on the Weibull stress criterion. In this study, taking the case of specific wide plate components subjected to uni-axial tensile load, the effect on β is analyzed taking account of Weibull shape parameter m, loading level, constraint effect that can be influenced by material work-hardening and crack type/size in structural components, etc., and volumetric effect. It is found that the β-value is almost constant beyond the applied CTOD level that is lower than CTOD of small-scale yielding limit (SSY-limit) for 25 mm thick toughness specimen. From an engineering point of view, the β-value at the CTOD level of 0.01 mm is used in the whole loading range beyond SSY-limit CTOD, which provides to some extent conservative measure of fracture toughness of structural components. The defined β is found to decrease with increasing Weibull shape parameter m and yield-to-tensile ratio YR of steel for all type of wide plates concerned. The crack length effect on β is quasi-theoretically formulated, which can convert the β for the wide plate with reference crack size to β for target crack size. These β and quasi-theoretical equations for the correction of crack size effect can be utilized for estimating the CTOD for wide plate in consideration of constraint loss effect without numerical calculation of the Weibull stress.