Characterization of a cracked specimen with full-field measurements: Direct determination of the crack tip and energy release rate calculation

Abstract

The crack characterization in a pre-cracked aluminum specimen is investigated in this study using the grid method. The images of this grid are analyzed to provide the crack tip location as well as the displacement and strain fields on the surface of the specimen during a tensile test. Experimental data are used to calculate the energy release rate with the compliance method A fracture analysis is also performed using the invariant θ integral in which both real and virtual displacement fields are introduced. This integral is implemented in the finite element software Cast3M. Both approaches give similar results in 2D case. © 2014 The Author(s).