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In this paper, the constraint effect caused by a side-groove on creep crack growth behavior in P92 steel was studied using finite element analysis. Creep crack growth simulations were conducted on compact tension specimens for side-grooves with different depths and angles. The simulated outcome indicated that the creep crack growth rate increased as the depth and the angles of the side-grooves in the specimen increased. Next, the profile of the crack front for the different specimens was discussed. The distribution of the average stress triaxiality and the average equivalent stress on the crack front were studied to investigate the mechanical mechanism describing the constraint effect on creep crack growth behavior. Finally, the creep crack growth rate determined from numerical simulation results was determined to be consistent with existing experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the stress and strain state simulated in a twin-disc test and a full scale wheel/rail experiment. The simulation is done by two-dimensional finite element models. The simulations regard the scaling factor between these experiments. This factor includes the contact patch size and the deformation depth. Same stresses and strains are calculated for both experiments considering this scale factor. For the investigation of cracks in these experiments, initiated short cracks or manually produced initial cracks are needed. The transferability of the crack growth predictions from twin-disc tests to the full scale wheel/rail experiments affords a scaling of the initial crack size to the size of the contact patches. Out of practical reasons usually the initial crack tips are located in both experiments in another depth as the scaling would afford and therefore, the tips are located in another zone of the plastic deformation. Very short cracks in the twin-disc tests are removed by wear or are influenced by the always existing surface roughness. It is shown that stresses and strains scale with the experiments but this will be not the case for wear and surface roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of ratchetting strain as a crack driving force in controlling crack growth has previously been explored at Portsmouth using numerical approaches for nickel-based superalloys. In this paper, we report the first quantitative experimental evidence of near-tip strain ratchetting with cycles, as captured in situ by digital image correlation (DIC) technique on a compact tension specimen of stainless steel 316L, using both Stereo and SEM systems. The evolution of the near-tip strains with loading cycles was monitored whilst the crack tip was kept stationary. The strains normal to the crack plane were examined over selected distances from 6 to 57 μm to the crack tip for a number of cycles. The results show that strain ratchetting occurs with loading cycles, and is particularly evident close to the crack tip and under higher loads. 3D finite element models have also been developed to simulate the experiments and the results from the simulation are compared with those from the DIC measurements. This is the first time that near-tip strain ratchetting has been captured in situ at the peak loads during cyclic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]