Experimental and Numerical Study on Ductile Fracture of Structural Steels under Combined Shear and Tension

Ductile fracture of steel structural members under combined shear and tension was observed in past strong earthquakes, but studies on ductile fracture under the combined stress state have been very limited in the field of steel structures. This study aims to experimentally and numerically investigate the coupling effect of shear stress and tensile stress on ductile fracture of both mild steel and high-strength steel. Two series of specimens are manufactured in which they are under pure shear and combined shear and tension. Meanwhile, a generalized simulation process, including generalization of the whole stress-strain data up to the fracture and fracture parameter calibration using only tensile coupons, is proposed to simulate ductile fracture of different structural steels. The generalized simulation process is proven to be capable of simulating ductile fracture under the combined stress state with good accuracy and simplicity.