Evaluating and predicting fatigue behavior in adhesively bonded joints

The fatigue behavior of an adhesively bonded joint is of key importance to its long-term structural integrity. However, the complex stress distribution inside a bonded joint does not make it easy to evaluate the fatigue behavior. This chapter discusses the various approaches that have been developed for predicting the fatigue behavior of...

Using acoustic emission to understand fatigue crack growth within a single load cycle

Current methods for prediction of fatigue crack growth are based on empirical correlations which do not take the crack growth behaviour within a single cycle into account. To improve these prediction methods, more understanding of the physical mechanisms of crack growth is required. In this research the acoustic emission technique was used to...

Fatigue behaviour of a welded I-section under a concentrated compression (wheel) load

This paper deals with the evaluation of fatigue cracks under a concentrated compression (wheel) load in an I-section with full penetration welds between the web and flange. The objective is to investigate whether cracks stop or nearly stop when they have grown through the residual tensile stress field. These experimental investigations are...

Fatigue behaviour of a welded I-section under a line load in compression

This paper is part of an evaluation of fatigue cracks in a crane runway girder with full penetration welds between the web and flange. The fatigue analysis of this actual crane runway girder is described in [1]. The investigation described in this paper deals with additional experimental tests on equivalent welded I sections on scale of...

How proper similitude can improve our understanding of crack closure and plasticity in fatigue

The appropriateness of some common similitude principles with respect to describing and predicting fatigue damage propagation is discussed. Linear elastic fracture mechanics have provided a basis to describe damage growth using stress intensity factors or strain energy release rates, both related to the work of Griffith and Irwin. The fatigue...