1. Introduction
The widely accepted Paris rule correlates the stress intensity factor (SIF) with crack length advance per cycle. However, the Paris rule is commonly established under mode I loading. So, when more than one loading mode is present, a crack increment rule under mixed mode and an angle prediction criterion is needed [
1], [
2]. This is one rule to quantify crack length increment and another to quantify crack direction [
3]. In the case of mixed-mode fracture, SIFs appear in orthogonal directions, each contributing to crack growth and crack kinking. Several equivalent SIF (Keq) models are based on different principles [
4]. So, it is necessary to identify the Keq models that best account for the combination loading modes [
5]. Therefore, when more than one loading is present, the choice of Keq impacts the crack growth rate [
6]. Based on previous studies [
7], [
8] suggesting a significant decrease in the toughness of metals when mixed mode failures occur, this paper tests three Keq models using two different numerical approaches in combination with three fatigue crack growth rules. Numerical results are validated with experimental data from the literature at ambient temperature.
Recently, the importance of Keq in fatigue crack growth has been acknowledged in Aluminum samples [
9] and both Aluminum and steel specimens [
10]. Additionally, numerical studies [
11] investigated the effects of mode-mixity of surface cracks, observing a difference in crack growth rate under mixed mode in steel. Moreover, [
12] reproduced FCG in a double cantilever sample of low-carbon steel. Further research by [
13] tested the Tanaka model against numerical simulations. Plate samples were tested under modes I and III with different Keq criteria [
14]. On the other hand, [
15] compared various Keq models using the Paris rule and found an acceptable agreement for the Tanaka and Irwin models. Furthermore, [
16] explored various crack growth models considering load amplitude. Additionally, [
17] focused on the Tanaka Keq model combined with the Paris rule, finding a good correlation but lacking comparison to other models. Consequently, the literature review revealed no consensus on the Keq model that best describes FCG.
The structural integrity of an element is characterized by how it experiences failure. Which is categorized into three fracture modes: mode
, where the stresses act perpendicular to the crack, generating the separation of the opposing faces; mode II, characterized by shear stresses causing in-plane crack edge displacement; and mode III, involving out-of-plane stress, usually associated with elements subjected to torsion [
4]. In Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), the stress field ahead of the crack tip is described by the SIF in each direction. Additionally, LEFM provides tools to assess the lifespan of mechanical elements with flaws [
13]. Moreover, a crack is a flaw in a solid, which can be produced by a stress gradient, corrosion, plastic deformation, fatigue [
4], or thickness reduction [
18], which requires adequate stress and time [
13]. A body subjected to alternating loads, below its elastic limit, presents a localized plastic phenomenon known as fatigue, which causes the crack to grow in length and change its direction if more than one stress direction is involved [
1], [
2]. Mixed mode loading may also occur due to multiaxial loads, a stress concentrator, or a crack. Furthermore, the fracture toughness (Kc) measures the material's resistance to crack propagation [
19] as a parameter for assessing failure in cracked bodies. However, in practical case scenarios, a body is subjected to multiaxial loads, so it is necessary to consider a mixed-mode fracture [
20]. Here is where the models to quantify the combination of SIF under mixed modes come into play [
5].
Moreover, FCG is usually conducted using analytical methods for simple loading cases, numerical methods [
11], [
12], [
13], a combination of both, or even with non-parametric models [
21]. A review of some of them can be found in [
22]. The choice of the Keq may impact crack growth prediction. In this study, we compare the finite element method implemented in ANSYS's (Separating Morphing and Adaptive Remeshing Technology (SMART)) with the dual boundary element method (BEM), which is implemented and described elsewhere [
23] for FCG under mixed-mode (I and II).
In this paper, a comparison is made between three Keq models combined with three FCG models, each covering different zones of the Paris plot. There has been a lack of studies concurrently exploring multiple Keq models with different crack growth models to assess the combination that best matches experimental results. This study seeks to fill this void by providing a comprehensive analysis that evaluates the performance of different Keq and crack growth model combinations under varying experimental conditions.
3. Materials and Methods
A modified C(T) specimen data, as shown in
Figure 2, was retrieved from the literature [
33], where SIFs were experimentally estimated for different crack lengths. The sample was made of low-carbon steel, and had a material composition detailed in
Table 1. The specimen was drilled to modify the stress fields ahead of the crack tip, inducing mixed modes I and II. Sample dimensions are shown in
Figure 2a.
The modified C(T) specimen initially developed a horizontal crack, which later curved due to the influence of the drilled hole. The SIF ranges in modes I and II were found by fitting displacement fields to Williams' displacement model in an infinite plate using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, as extensively detailed in [
33]. So, calculations were conducted for six crack lengths, designated as 0, a, b, c, d, and e, respectively, as illustrated in
Figure 2b, with numerical values in
Table 2. Extensive details about SIF calculations are available in [
33].
Once the experimental results were available for evaluating the numerical models, obtaining the crack growth constants was necessary, as depicted in
Table 3. For the Paris rule, tests with R = 0.1 are required. As for the Forman and Modified Forman-Newman models, data for low-carbon plain steels can be found in the literature [
34].
So, to assess the equivalent SIF models, both the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Dual Boundary Element Method (DBEM) [
35] were employed. ANSYS introduced the SMART methodology, which allows for dynamic mesh adjustments during the simulation progression [
9]. This technology has been recently assessed and successfully compared to experimental results [
36]. The geometry, as illustrated in
Figure 2a, was modeled in ANSYS, using quadratic tetrahedral meshing, with an influence sphere of 20 mm around the crack tip and element size of 0.5 mm, this resulted in a mesh compromising 127305 nodes and 91640 elements shown in
Figure 3a. Boundary conditions consisted of free cylindrical support in the radial direction and an average bearing load of 5420 N. The analysis configuration involved 15 steps, aligning with the experimental crack length.
On the other hand, the DBEM simplifies 2D problems to one dimension, facilitating meshing and reducing computational costs [
35]. The GID software was used for the geometric modeling, as shown in
Figure 3b, which displays the mesh nodes. Boundary conditions were set for a plane stress problem, resulting in 458 nodes and 229 elements. The lower left corner was fixed in both directions, and the upper left corner was constrained in the x-direction. Elements of 0.5 mm in length were used at the crack tip; and the mesh was refined by implementing 30 elements around the drilled hole, which the crack tip approached as it grew. The implementation of the DBEM method was carried out using an in-house code described somewhere else [
23]. It was noted that the computation time was shorter than with FEM. Each simulation lasted approximately 18 seconds, unlike FEM simulations, which took about 15.37 minutes using the same computer.
5. Discussion
The experimental data acquired through DIC was processed and compared with numerical methods FEM and BEM see
Figure 9a,b. The results unveiled a consistent trend of higher
values in FEM, aligning with other studies [
40]. However, it has been shown FEM cannot reproduce conditions such as fatigue-induced plasticity, crack roughness, debris, friction, crack flank interlocking, and the microstructural effect on the crack path [
41]. Their impact on LEFM parameters can be seen when selecting the experimental data to work with. For example, choosing the full field displacement may capture the plasticity in the very near region potentially leading to higher K
I, or may yield negative K
I values if the fields are in compression. Alternatively, choosing points behind the crack tip may pick the effect of crack roughness and crack flank interlocking [
42], which may shadow K
II. Of course, these scenarios are out of the scope, but they are worth mentioning.
Other researchers [
43] have encountered similar results, addressing them by implementing a theta-method in FEM simulations to calculate
values and computing the crack opening displacement factor (COD) using DIC data or the J integral to avoid the plasticity fields around the crack tip [
42]. However, in our experience, the J integral implementation for mixed-mode fields has been a challenge. Similarly, in the study by [
44], they resolved it through a hybrid experimental-computational approach. The FEM robustness and RPIM (Reduced-Order Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Integration Method) computations were experimentally validated, through Thermal Stress Analysis (TSA), with the achieved SIF solution. Such an approach appears suitable for cases of mixed-mode loading and could serve as a potential solution for this issue.
Regarding
, the simulations did not show a specific trend, potentially due to their low magnitudes. However, a consistent pattern emerged, showing higher values for both
and
in FEM [
45], as reported in
Figure 9d. For future studies, it is essential to recognize that achieving convergence between experimental and computational results may require the implementation of alternative algorithms.
The sample's thickness and the assumption of plain strain conditions influence the accuracy of computational predictions. Despite the sample's relatively small thickness (only 8.7 mm), the assumptions regarding plain strain conditions influenced the computational results. In the BEM simulations, the superficial calculation led to lower values than experimental findings [
46], see
Figure 8c. This discrepancy suggests that the idealized conditions assumed in the computational model may not fully represent the real-world behavior of the material.
Examining the relationship between crack size and the number of cycles, the discrepancy reaches 100% at its peak. This can be attributed to crack tip-induced plasticity, as the material is a low-carbon steel. According to the COD formulation, the plasticity mechanisms governing crack closure [
47], are proportional to the SIF, but inversely proportional to r
0.5, significantly influencing the experimental growth slope [
48] as shown in
Figure 9e.
A significant finding was the decrease in growth constants for
relative to those presented in
Table 3. This implies a potential reduction in mixed-mode Paris constants. This trend is consistent with findings from [
49], where changes in constants were noted based on the severity of the applied mixed mode. However, a definitive trend was not identified, attributing the variation to shifts in force distribution throughout the body as the mixed mode becomes more pronounced. Nonetheless, the underlying cause of this phenomenon remains unclear, whether it arises from present failure modes or plasticity effects. Nevertheless, it is evident that alterations in loading conditions, such as changes in mode mixity, can lead to corresponding adjustments in growth constants, as highlighted before [
50].
6. Conclusion
Three fatigue crack growth rules (Paris, Klesnil-Lukas, and Modified Forman-Newman) were tested with experimental data from the literature combined with three equivalent SIF models (Asaro, Pook, and Tanaka). It was found that the equivalent Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) model proposed by Asaro exhibits the lowest percentage error in predicting cycle differentials among the evaluated growth models, with a mean error within the range of 18.4 to 41.2 %. Asaro, Tanaka, and Pook's models exhibit close results, originating from maximum stress theoretical principles, resulting in conservative predictions Experimental and values compared to ASTM E647-23 are notably lower in the initial three intervals (where mostly mode I is present), leading to slower crack propagation. This phenomenon may be attributed to localized plasticity.
If specific constants are known for mixed mode, it is possible to use the Paris rule. When not available, the Klesnil fatigue crack growth model showed the smallest range of error in predicting cycle differentials, ranging from 18.4% to 22.1%. The total cycle count calculation using the Asaro equivalent SIF model showed slightly conservative behavior, with a satisfactory adjustment of 10%. The Klesnil growth model offered closer predictions due to its ability to model regions I and II of crack propagation. Observing the material's propagation threshold, SIF values indicated that the data reside at the entry limit of Region II.
DIC-acquired and processed experimental data were compared against commercial FEM and BEM numerical methods using SIF as a benchmark. The comparison revealed a higher
value in FEM, agreeing with other studies [
37]. Differences were attributed to idealized conditions in the simulations, notably impacting
values without a specific trend. Notably, BEM's over-the-surface calculations led to lower values, as shown in
Figure 9c.