A statistical theory of the brittle fracture of steel

✍ Scribed by A. M. Hasofer

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands
• Year: 1968
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 529 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-2673
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00186809

✦ Synopsis

A statistical model for the brittle fracture of steel is formulated and analyzed. Fracture is assumed to occur by coalescence of a number of arrested cracks initiated at different points. The upper tail of the distribution of maximum stress is show~ to be given by the formula 1-(X/Oo)0, where (7 o and 0 are functions of the microstructural constants of the material. It is further shown that the size effect in this model is much less marked than in the case of weakest--link models. Finally, some experimental results from a pilot program are presented and suggestions for further experimental work given.