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Abstract
The use of side grooves in determining critical crack opening displacement values in small notch bend specimens is discussed. The critical crack opening displacement for fully ductile behaviour δmax. is seen to decrease to a constant value with increasing side-groove depth. This value of δmax. is found to coincide with the crack opening displacement for the initiation of fibrous fracture δ1 determined on non-side-grooved specimens. The effect of deep side grooving is considered to be one of promoting through-thickness plane strain conditions in specimens normally too thin for this behaviour to be observed. The use of appropriately side-grooved specimens is considered to be a reliable and effective method of determining δ1.