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Fracture experiments with ball grid array (BGA) specimens having different adherend rigidities were performed under bending loads at intermediate strain rates (0.2–1 s−1) and a high strain rate of 30 s−1. A cohesive zone model (CZM) was established and the predictive capability of the model was assessed for the specimens with different rigidities. The predicted fracture loads were within 12% of the measured forces when the CZM parameters were obtained using specimens with a similar degree of constraint. This suggests that in many practical cases, the effect of adherend stiffness can be neglected in predicting the strength of BGA solder joints.

The modified couple stress theory is employed in this paper in order to formulate the size-dependent strain energy release rate of Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko notched beams. As a case study, the normalized energy release rate of the aforementioned beams has been developed for three-point bending as a function of the ratio of material length scale parameter to the beam depth. The results of the current model are compared to the experimental data. The good agreement between the present results and the experimental values indicates that the current model can be successfully applied to evaluate size dependent energy release rate of structures.

The effects of the residual stress field resulting from shot peening and the indentation technique were investigated in relation to fatigue crack closure and crack growth behaviour. Compact Specimens of 20NiCrMo2 were used in this investigation. The regions of residual stress field were located behind the fatigue crack tip. Crack closure behaviour was measured with back face strain and crack mouth opening displacement gauges. Crack length was monitored by the compliance and microscopic methods. Residual stress was measured by the incremental hole-drilling method. Subsequently the closure level, propagation rate and resulting crack growth retardation were studied. Crack closure and attendant growth retardation were shown to be dependent on the residual stress field. Residual stresses produced by shot peening and indentation were both compressive. The maximum value of residual stress for both operations were on the surface and at the same intensity. However, the residual stress induced by the indentation technique was deeper. The results showed that the closure effect was stronger in the case of indentation technique.