Stress Intensity Factor - Critical Stress Intensity Factor

Critical Stress Intensity Factor

The stress intensity factor, is a parameter that amplifies the magnitude of the applied stress that includes the geometrical parameter (load type). Stress intensity in any mode situation is directly proportional to the applied load on the material. If a very sharp crack can be made in a material, the minimum value of can be empirically determined, which is the critical value of stress intensity required to propagate the crack. This critical value determined for mode I loading in plane strain is referred to as the critical fracture toughness of the material. has units of stress times the root of a distance. The units of imply that the fracture stress of the material must be reached over some critical distance in order for to be reached and crack propagation to occur. The Mode I critical stress intensity factor, is the most often used engineering design parameter in fracture mechanics and hence must be understood if we are to design fracture tolerant materials used in bridges, buildings, aircraft, or even bells. Polishing cannot detect a crack. Typically, if a crack can be seen it is very close to the critical stress state predicted by the stress intensity factor.