Failure methodology of mode‐II loaded cracks

Abstract

Various aspects of the failure behaviour initiated from mode‐II loaded cracks are discussed: validity criteria and minimum size specimen requirements for measuring the fracture toughness K_IIc; energy balance of the process of initiation of kinked cracks including compressive notch tip stress concentrations; failure mode transition from tensile cracks to adiabatic shear bands at high loading rates; loading rate dependence of the dynamic fracture toughness K_IId in the regime of failure mode transition. Findings of studies on these subjects are presented and implications of the results for practical applications are discussed. The failure behaviour of mode‐II loaded cracks is found very different and far more complicated than of mode‐I loaded cracks, generalizations from mode‐I to mode‐II can therefore be severely misleading.