Using a strain based failure assessment diagram for creep-brittle materials

Recently, there has been considerable interest in studying creep crack growth in creep-brittle materials. For example, the methodologies for assessing creep ductile materials, using fracture mechanics parameters like C* and C-t, have been extended to include creep-brittle materials [1]. This paper begins by examining these recent developments and outlines the difficulties in adopting these developments. An alternative approach is then proposed. This new approach leads from recent work proposed by the authors [2], where a strain based failure assessment diagram (SB-FAD) is used. Experimental results from a series of tests on a simulated heat affected zone of a low alloy steel are explored. The application of the methodology for assessing the initiation and growth of a defect in a creep-brittle material is also demonstrated. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.