Influence of crack length on ductile fracture initiation in welded joints with one and two weld metals

Abstract

Among various micromechanical models for ductile fracture analysis using local approach, those based on the Gurson plastic flow criterion have been intensively developed in the past three decades. However, their application is still subject of many researches, with the aim to improve the assessment of ductile fracture in various, mainly metallic, materials. In this work, Gurson criterion is applied to welded joints produced with one or two different weld metals (one of these is overmatched, while the other is undermatched). Welded single-edge notched bend (SENB) specimens are examined, with an initial pre-crack located in the symmetry plane of each joint. Local approach is chosen for assessment of behaviour of the joints under the external loading, to capture the effect of material inhomogeneity and initial crack length on deformation and ductile fracture initiation in analysed specimens.