Abstract
Fatigue results from the occurrence of several damage mechanisms and
their interactions. The cyclic plastic strain and damage accumulation at
the crack tip are widely pointed as the main agents behind FCG. In this
work, the authors propose the prediction of FCG through a node release
numerical model that offers several possibilities regarding the
modelling of the mechanisms behind fatigue. A hybrid propagation method
is presented where both cumulative plastic strain and porous damage
represent parallel propagation criteria. Accordingly, the node is
released once either a critical plastic strain or a critical porosity,
at the crack tip, is reached. The Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN)
damage model is employed to predict porous damage evolution through the
processes of nucleation and growth of microvoids. The model is validated
through comparison with experimental data. Finally, the interactions
between plastic strain, porous damage, crack closure and stress
triaxiality are accessed.