Mechanisms of mode II (sliding) crack advance

Abstract

Little work has been performed on the fatigue extension of cracks where the near crack-tip plastic zones dominate the separation mechanism. Any theories which may be proposed should be able to describe cases of compressive principal stress combined with shear (mode II) loadings. Therefore, both to elucidate the conditions of crack extension in these limiting cases and to satisfy the practical interest in the fatigue cracking process in various situations a preliminary study of angled cracks subjected to compressive fatigue loading was undertaken.