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Constraint effects on fracture initiation loads in HSST wide-plate tests

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10106607· OSTI ID:10106607
 [1]
  1. Illinois Univ., Urbana, IL (United States)

During the period 1984--1987, researchers of the Heavy-Section Steel Technology program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory performed a unique series of fracture mechanics tests using exceptionally large, SE(T) specimens (a/W=0.2) fabricated from a reactor pressure vessel material, A533B Class 1 steel. This study re-examines fracture initiation loads in the wide-plate tests using two constraint assessment methodologies developed over the past five years: the J-Q toughness locus approach and the toughness scaling approach based on a local failure criterion for cleavage. Both approaches demonstrate a significant loss of constraint in the elastic-plastic fields ahead of the crack in the wide-plate specimens caused by the inherent negative T-stress of the shallow notch SE(T) configuration. Moreover, the 25mm wide machined notch required for specimen fabrication is shown to further reduce constraint by introducing a traction free surface very near the crack tip. Both of these factors combined to reduce near-tip stresses by 10% below those of the small-scale yielding, SSY (T=O), fields. This reduction places fracture results for the wide-plate specimens within the J-Q toughness locus defined by fracture toughness tests on the A533B material and within the constraint corrected J{sub c} values defined by the toughness scaling methodology.

Research Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Engineering; Illinois Univ., Urbana, IL (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
10106607
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR--6259; UILU-ENG--94-2009; ORNL/TM--12796; ON: TI95005273
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English