Högskolan i Skövde

Mode I fatigue crack growth at load levels close to the threshold is studied with the aim of improving the understanding of the fatigue properties. We also aim at identifying a suitable damage evolution law for large-scale simulation of built-up structures. A fatigue test rig is designed where up to six specimens are tested simultaneously. Each specimen is evaluated separately indicating the specimen-to-specimen variation in fatigue properties. A rubber-based and a PUR-based adhesive are tested. The two adhesives represent adhesives with very different material properties; the rubber adhesive is a stiff structural adhesive and the PUR adhesive is a soft modular adhesive. The experiments are first evaluated using a traditional Paris’ law approach. Inspired by an existing damage evolution law, a modified damage evolution law is developed based on only three parameters. The law is implemented as a user material in Abaqus and the parameters are identified. The results from simulations show a very good ability to reproduce the experimental data. With this model of fatigue damage, a zone of damage evolves at the crack tip. The extension of this zone depends on the stiffness of the adherends; stiffer adherends leads to a larger damage zone. This means that the rate of crack growth depends on the stiffness of the adherends. Thus, not only the state at the crack tip governs the rate of crack growth. This is in contrast to the results of a model based on Paris’ law where only the state at the crack tip, through the energy release rate, governs the rate of crack growth. This indicates that the threshold value of the energy release rate may depend on the stiffness of the adherends.