A Crack Arrest Test Using a Toughness Gradient Steel Plate

Abstract

Abstract A crack arrest test was carried out using a toughness gradient steel plate with three layers to study the concept of crack arrest toughness. Four-point bending load with thermal shock was applied to the large flat plate specimen with a surface crack. Five crack initiations and arrests were observed during the test and the propagated crack bifurcated. Finally, cracks were arrested at the boundary of the first and the second layer, except for a small segment of the crack. The first crack initiation took place slightly higher than the lower bound of KIc data obtained by ITCT specimens. That is, the KIC concept for brittle crack initiation was verified for heavy section steel plates. The first crack arrest took place within the scatter band of KIa and KId data for the first layer. That is, the KIa concept appears applicable for crack arrest of a short crack jump.