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.

Read more about this topic:  Stress Intensity Factor

Famous quotes containing the words critical, stress, intensity and/or factor:

    It is critical vision alone which can mitigate the unimpeded operation of the automatic.
    Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980)

    Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one’s mind.
    W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1966)

    We may say that feelings have two kinds of intensity. One is the intensity of the feeling itself, by which loud sounds are distinguished from faint ones, luminous colors from dark ones, highly chromatic colors from almost neutral tints, etc. The other is the intensity of consciousness that lays hold of the feeling, which makes the ticking of a watch actually heard infinitely more vivid than a cannon shot remembered to have been heard a few minutes ago.
    Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)

    Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.
    Mao Zedong (1893–1976)