Verification of FE model of fatigue crack propagation under mixed mode conditions

Results of FEM simulations of fatigue crack growth under mixed mode loading are presented in this paper. At Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) the program code which uses commercial software ABAQUS for fatigue crack simulations has been developed. The program works on basis of gradual crack extending. In simulation are considered small scale yielding conditions. Both classic criteria (J-integral, maximum of hoop stress, Paris law) and two-parameter criteria incorporating T-stress (extended hoop stress criterion and modified Paris law) are used for crack behaviour description. Experiments were carried out on two sets of simple specimens. The results of numerical simulations are compared with carried out experiments. Computed crack growth rate corresponds to experiments for shorter cracks at which T-stress is not significant. Computed crack shapes are in very good agreement with experiments.