high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction, several authors have recently attempted to express crack growth rate in terms of stress intensity factor K, = a& u8, where a is the equivalent crack length as the sum of the initial notch length a, and the actual crack length a*, that is, a = a, + a*. On the other hand, it has been shown by Yokobori and Konosu that under the large scale yielding condition, the local stress distribution near the notch tip is given by the fracture mechanics parameter of&u&r,), where a is the cycloidal notch length, p,is the gross section stress and,f(o,) is a function of u8. Furthermore, when the crack growth from the mttial notch is concerned, it is more reasonable to use the effective crack length a,rr taking into account of the effect of the initial notch instead of the equivalent crack length a. Thus we believe mathematical formula for the crack growth rate under high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction conditions may be expressed at least in principle as function of Ju.,, u,, u, and temperature.
In the present paper, the geometrical change of notch shape from the instant of load application was continuously observed during the tests without interruption under high temperature creep, fatigue and creep-fatigue interaction conditions. Also, the effective crack length aen was calculated by the finite element method for the accurate estimation of local stress distribution near the tip of the crack initiated from the initial notch root. Furthermore, experimental data on crack growth rates previously obtained are analysed in terms of the parameter of & temperatures as parameters, respectively. ug with gross section stresses and NOTATION the length of initial notch actual crack length us + a* = equivalent crack length effective crack length taking into account of the effect of the initial notch crack growth rate on a time basis usual elastic stress intensity factor based on equivalent crack length a half width of the specimen gross section stress