• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.85-95
• /
• 2010

In this paper, numerical solution of the singular integral equation for the multiple curved branch-cracks is investigated. If some quadrature rule is used, one difficult point in the problem is to balance the number of unknowns and equations in the solution. This difficult point was overcome by taking the following steps: (a) to place a point dislocation at the intersecting point of branches, (b) to use the curve length method to covert the integral on the curve to an integral on the real axis, (c) to use the semi-open quadrature rule in the integration. After taking these steps, the number of the unknowns is equal to the number of the resulting algebraic equations. This is a particular advantage of the suggested method. In addition, accurate results for the stress intensity factors (SIFs) at crack tips have been found in a numerical example. Finally, several numerical examples are given to illustrate the efficiency of the method presented.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.1186-1191
• /
• 2003

The 40% of wall criterion, which is generally used for the plugging of steam generator tubes, may be applied only to a single crack. In the previous study, a total of 9 failure models were introduced to estimate the local failure of the ligament between cracks and the optimum coalescence model of multiple collinear cracks was determined among these models. It is, however, known that parallel axial cracks are more frequently detected during an in-service inspection than collinear axial cracks. The objective of this study is to determine the plastic collapse model which can be applied to the steam generator tube containing two parallel axial through-wall cracks. Nine previously proposed local failure models were selected as the candidates. Subsequently interaction effects between two adjacent cracks were evaluated to screen them. Plastic collapse tests for the plate with two parallel through-wall cracks and finite element analyses were performed for the determination of the optimum plastic collapse model. By comparing the test results with the prediction results obtained from the candidate models, a plastic zone contact model was selected as an optimum model.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.327-337
• /
• 2004

It is commonly required that tubes with defects exceeding $40\%$ of wall thickness in depth should be plugged; however, this criterion is too conservative for some locations and for some types of defects. Many studies have been done with the aim of developing an alternative plugging criteria, and these studies have shown that steam generator tubes with a certain range of axial through-wall cracks could remain in service without any safety or reliability problems. However, these studies have been limited, thus far, to consideration of single cracked tubes, necessitating a study on multiple cracks, which are commonly found. A crack coalescence model applicable to steam generator tubes with two collinear axial through-wall cracks was proposed in the previous study. In this paper, the investigation is extended to the parallel axial cracks spaced in a circumferential direction, because parallel axial cracks are more frequently detected during in-service inspections than collinear axial cracks. Interaction effects between two parallel cracks are evaluated by performing elastic and elastic-plastic finite element analyses.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.9 no.4
• /
• pp.355-371
• /
• 2012

A composite element method (CEM) is presented to analyze the free and forced vibrations of a cracked Euler-Bernoulli beam with axial force. The cracks are introduced by using Christides and Barr crack model with an adjustment on one crack parameter. The effects of the cracks and axial force on the reduction of natural frequencies and the dynamic responses of the beam are investigated. The time response sensitivities with respect to the crack parameters (i.e., crack location, crack depth) and the axial force are calculated. The natural frequencies obtained from the proposed method are compared with the analytical results in the literature, and good agreement is found. This study shows that the cracks in the beam may have significant effects on the dynamic responses of the beam. In the inverse problem, a response sensitivity-based model updating method is proposed to identify both a single crack and multiple cracks from measured dynamic responses. The cracks can be identified successfully even using simulated noisy acceleration responses.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.66 no.3
• /
• pp.343-351
• /
• 2018

Brazilian disc test is one of the most widely used experiments in the literature of geo-mechanics. In this work, the pre-holed concrete Brazilian disc specimens are numerically modelled by a two-dimensional discrete element approach. The cracks initiations, propagations and coalescences in the numerically simulated Brazilian discs (each containing a single cylindrical hole and or multiple holes) are studied. The pre-holed Brazilian discs are numerically tested under Brazilian test conditions. The single-holed Brazilian discs with different ratios of the diameter of the holes to that of the disc radius are modelled first. The breakage load in the ring type disc specimens containing an internal hole with varying diameters is measured and the crack propagation mechanism around the wall of the ring is investigated. The crack propagation and coalescence mechanisms are also studied for the case of multi-holes' concrete Brazilian discs. The numerical and experimental results show that the breaking mechanism of the pre-holed disc specimens is mainly due to the initiation of the radially induced tensile cracks which are growth from the surface of the central hole. Radially cracks propagated toward the direction of diametrical loading. It has been observed that for the case of disc specimens with multiple holes under diametrical compressive loading, the breaking process of the modelled specimens may occur due to the simultaneous cracks propagation and cracks coalescence phenomena. These results also show that as the hole diameter and the number of the holes increases both the failure stress and the crack initiation stress decreases. The experimental results already exist in the literature are quit agree with the proposed numerical simulation results which validates this simulation procedure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.597-618
• /
• 2014

For the structures containing multiple discontinuities (voids, inclusions, and cracks), the simulation technologies in the framework of extended finite element method (XFEM) are discussed in details. The level set method is used for representing the location of inner discontinuous interfaces so that the mesh does not need to align with these discontinuities. Several illustrations have been given to verify that the implemented XFEM program is effective. Then, the implemented XFEM program is used to investigate the effects of the voids, inclusions, and minor cracks on the path of major crack propagation. For a plate containing cracks and voids, two possibly crack path can be observed: i) the crack propagates into the void; ii) the crack initially curves towards the void, then, the crack reorients itself and propagates along its original orientation. For a plate with a soft inclusion, the final predicted crack paths tend to close with the inclusion, and an evident difference of crack paths can be observed with different inclusion material properties. However, for a plate with a hard inclusion, the paths tend to away from the inclusion, and a slightly difference of crack paths can only be seen with different inclusion material properties. For a plate with several minor cracks, the trend of crack paths can still be described as that the crack initially curves towards these minor cracks, and then, the crack reorients itself and propagates almost horizontally along its original orientation.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
• /
• v.17 no.7 s.94
• /
• pp.1668-1677
• /
• 1993

The objective of this paper is to develop a computational model for predicting the fatigue propagation of collinear multiple surface cracks under constant amplitude and variable amplitude loadings. After examining fatigue crack growth behavior for CT specimens and single surface crack specimens, empirical equations of(11) and(12) are proposed for the prediction of fatigue life in a multiple surface crack geometry. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified using a life prediction computer program. Several case studies were performed to check the accuracy of the proposed model and to verify the usefulness of the developed program. Good agreement is observed between the numerical results based on the proposed model and the published experimental data.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.215-226
• /
• 2021

To study the evolution mechanism of cracks in rocks with multiple defects, rock-like samples with multiple defects, such as strip-shaped through-going cracks and cavity groups, are used, and the crack propagation law and changes in AE (acoustic emission) and strain of cavity groups under different inclination angles are studied. According to the test results, an increase in the cavity group inclination angle can facilitate the initial damage degree of the rock and weaken the crack initiation stress; the initial crack initiation direction is approximately 90°, and the extension angle is approximately 75~90° from the strip-shaped through-going cracks; thus, the relationship between crack development and cavity group initiation strengthens. The specific performance is as follows: when the initiation angle is 30°, the cracks between the cavities in the cavity group develop relatively independently along the parallel direction of the external load; when the angle is 75°, the cracks between the cavities in the cavity group can interpenetrate, and slip can occur along the inclination of the cavity group under the action of the shear mechanism rupture. With the increase in the inclination angle of the cavity group, the AE energy fluctuation frequency at the peak stress increases, and the stress drop is obvious. The larger the cavity group inclination angle is, the more obvious the energy accumulation and the more severe the rock damage; when the cavity group angle is 30° or 75°, the peak strain of the local area below the strip-shaped through-going fracture plane is approximately three times that when the cavity group angle is 45° and 60°, indicating that cracks are easily generated in the local area monitored by the strain gauge at this angle, and the further development of the cracks weakens the strength of the rock, thereby increasing the probability of major engineering quality damage. The research results will have important reference value for hazard prevention in underground engineering projects through rock with natural and artificial defects, including tunnels and air-raid shelters.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.975-991
• /
• 2014

The objective of this study is to develop a reliable method for locating cracks in a beam using data fusion of fractal dimension features of operating deflection shapes. The Katz's fractal dimension curve of an operating deflection shape is used as a basic feature of damage. Like most available damage features, the Katz's fractal dimension curve has a notable limitation in characterizing damage: it is unresponsive to damage near the nodes of structural deformation responses, e.g., operating deflection shapes. To address this limitation, data fusion of Katz's fractal dimension curves of various operating deflection shapes is used to create a sophisticated fractal damage feature, the 'overall Katz's fractal dimension curve'. This overall Katz's fractal dimension curve has the distinctive capability of overcoming the nodal effect of operating deflection shapes so that it maximizes responsiveness to damage and reliability of damage localization. The method is applied to the detection of damage in numerical and experimental cases of cantilever beams with single/multiple cracks, with high-resolution operating deflection shapes acquired by a scanning laser vibrometer. Results show that the overall Katz's fractal dimension curve can locate single/multiple cracks in beams with significantly improved accuracy and reliability in comparison to the existing method. Data fusion of fractal dimension features of operating deflection shapes provides a viable strategy for identifying damage in beam-type structures, with robustness against node effects.

• Journal of Magnetics
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.312-316
• /
• 2015

Unlike conventional Eddy Current Test (ECT), Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) uses a multiple-frequency current pulse through the excitation coil. In the present study, the detection of subsurface cracks using a specially designed probe that allows the detection of a deeper crack with a relatively small current density has been attempted using the PEC technique. The tested sample is a piece of 304 stainless steel (SS304) with a thickness of 30mm. Small electrical discharge machining (EDM) notches were put in the test sample at different depths from the surface to simulate the subsurface cracks in a pipe. The designed PEC probe consists of an excitation coil and a Hall sensor and can detect a subsurface crack as narrow and shallow as 0.2 mm wide and 2 mm deep. The maximum distance between the probe and the defect is 28 mm. The peak amplitude of the detected pulse is used to evaluate the cracks under the sample surface. In time domain analysis, the greater the crack depth the greater the peak amplitude of the detected pulse. The experimental results indicated that the proposed system has the potential to detect the subsurface cracks in stainless steel plates.