Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69

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Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/tafmec

Assessment of brittle fracture for PUR materials using local strain energy
density and theory of critical distances
R. Negru, L. Marsavina ⇑, H. Filipescu, C. Căplescu, T. Voiconi
University Politehnica Timisoara, Romania

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Local strain energy density and theory of critical distances represent two recent approaches in assessing
Available online 11 August 2015 the brittle fracture of cracked and notched components. Experimental validation of these methods was
mainly conducted on materials with brittle behaviour (ceramics and PMMA). In this paper the applicabil-
Keywords: ity of these methods to another class of plastic materials, i.e. rigid polyurethanes of different densities,
Local strain energy density was investigated. For this, two types of specimens, single edge U-notched and asymmetric semi-
Theory of critical distances circular bend cracked specimens, were experimentally investigated at room temperature and considered
Polyurethane materials
for theoretical predictions. Both criteria provide reasonable predictions for the fracture load.
Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction the cohesive-zone crack models proposed by Dugdale [10] and

The assessment of components weakened by notches, using the
concept of ‘‘microstructural support length” was proposed by
Neuber [1] evaluating the fatigue strength. This means that the
stress value averaged over a material-dependent length controls
the fatigue behaviour of the notched components, instead of the
maximum one. On the same track, Sheppard [2] thought of fatigue
life as being controlled by the average circumferential stress in a
finite size volume.
Following some results regarding the fatigue strength reduction
factor due to crack-like notches proposed by Tanaka [3], Taylor
[4,5] presented the ‘‘theory of critical distance”, a group of four
methods: the point method, the line method, the area method
and finally the volume method. The hypothesis is that static and
high-cycle fatigue failure occurs if the average elastic stress over
a finite size volume reaches a critical value. Both characteristic
length L and critical stress r0 are considered as material dependent
parameters.
On parallel developments and dealing with components weak-
ened by sharp V-notches Knésl [6], Seweryn [7] and Seweryn et al.
[8] used a ‘‘line criterion” for brittle fracture assessment. According
to their approach, crack propagation occurs when the average
value of decohesive stress over a specified damage d0 segment
reaches its critical value.
Gόmez et al. [9] proposed a cracking criterion for assessment of
critical static load for U-notched components, as an extension of
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: liviu.marsavina@upt.ro (L. Marsavina).
Barenblatt [11]. The cracking criterion mentioned above was
applied to sharp V-notched components by accepting a rectangular
softening curve and two parameters associated with this: the ulti-
mate tensile strength ru and the specific fracture energy Gf (Gόmez
and Elices [12]).
As well, a local approach (i.e. ‘‘volumetric method”) was pro-
posed by Adib and Pluvinage [13] in high-cycle fatigue and by El
Minor et al. [14] in fracture assessments. A synthesis of these
approaches is presented by Pluvinage [15]. Considering both
energy and stress criteria Leguillon [16], Leguillon and Yosibash
[17] predicted the crack onset at V-notches in brittle materials
(PMMA and alumina/zirconia).
Dealing with the fracture of notched components, the concept
of Strain Energy Density (SED) has been already reported in litera-
ture (Sih [18,19], Kipp and Sih [20], Sih and Ho [21]). Sih’s criterion
postulates that the failure is controlled by a critical value of strain
energy density factor S, whilst the crack propagation direction is
determined by imposing a minimum condition on factor S.
Different from aforementioned S factor criterion, which is a
point-related criterion, Lazzarin and Zambardi [22] predicted the
static and fatigue behaviour of sharp V-notched components using
the average SED in a defined control volume around the notch tip.
Concerning the case of static brittle fracture, the control volume
radius RC depends on two material parameters: the ultimate tensile
strength ru and the fracture toughness KIC. Under high-cycle
fatigue loading radius RC depends on plain specimen fatigue
limit Dr0 and on the threshold value of SIF DKth. The ‘‘finite-
volume-energy based approach” was validated taking into account
experimental data already published in literature: tests on sharp

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tafmec.2015.07.011
0167-8442/Ó 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69
V-notched specimens made of PMMA and Duralluminium under
mode I and mixed-mode static loading, and fatigue tests on welded
joints and notched components in structural steel. The ‘‘local strain
energy approach” was analytically developed to blunt V- and U-
notches under mode I loading by Lazzarin and Berto [23]. This
approach was extended to mixed mode I–II conditions based on
a numerical procedure by Gόmez et al. [24] and Berto et al. [25],
and to mode III loading conditions by Berto et al. [26] and
Lazzarin et al. [27]. Validation of these developments of local SED
was carried out on both static and fatigue multiaxial conditions
(Lazzarin et al. [28–30], Berto and Lazzarin [31]). Recently, special
issues of the local SED concept were investigated: semi-circular
and other shapes of the control volume, micro-rounded notches
with application to fatigue strength evaluation of thin sheet
welded joints, and slit-parallel loading of a keyhole notch (Radaj
et al. [32,33]).
In the present paper brittle fracture of two different
Polyurethane materials is investigated under mixed mode I + II
loading. Two types of specimens were considered single edge
notched bend specimens with different notch radius and asymmet-
ric semi-circular bend specimens. The predictions of the fracture
load were based on two engineering approaches: local Strain
Energy Density (SED) and Theory of Critical Distances (TCD), and
were compared with the experimental data.
2. Materials
Polyurethane (PUR) materials Necuron 651 (density 708 kg/m3
with a porous microstructure) and Necuron 1020 (density
1218 kg/m3 with a solid microstructure), produced by Necumer
GmbH Germany [34], were tested in the experimental program
(Marsavina et al. [35]).
The Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the considered
materials were determined by Impulse Excitation Technique [36]
and are presented in Table 1.
The mechanical properties under tensile loading, Table 1, were
determined on two types of specimens:
– dog bone specimens with a gage length of 50 mm and a rectan-
gular cross section with 19 mm
10 mm (EN ISO 527 [37],
Filipescu [38]);
– semicircular edge notched specimens, having a net cross section
area of 10 mm
10 mm and a notch radius of 5 mm (the stress
concentration factor Kt is equal to 1.62), used to determine the
notch strength as the maximum normal stress existing at the
edge, at the moment before crack initiates [7,31].
3. Experimental results
3.1. Single edge notched bend (SENB) specimens
Single edge U-notched specimens loaded in three point bending
(SENB) were considered for evaluation of mixed mode brittle frac-
ture made of Necuron 1020. According to Berto et al. [25] two types
of specimens were investigated in order to achieve from pure
mode I to mode II conditions:
Table 1
Elastic, mechanic and fracture properties of the PUR materials.
PUR density 708 1218
Young’s modulus E (MPa) 1250 ± 15.00a 3340 ± 7.1a
Poisson’s ratio m (–) 0.302 0.343
Ultimate tensile strength ru (MPa) 17.40 ± 0.32a 49.75 ± 0.18a
Tensile notch strength rn (MPa) 34.95 ± 1.85a 79.05 ± 1.46a
a
Standard deviation values.
63
– specimens with vertical (x = 90°) notch for predominantly
mode I loading, Fig. 1a. Distance S1 was kept constant at
60 mm and the distances S2 and m were varied to produce dif-
ferent mixed mode configurations, see Table 2;
– specimens with tilted U-notches (x = 135°) for predominantly
mode II loading, Fig. 1b.
The thickness of all SENB specimens was 10 mm and four differ-
ent notch tip radius q were considered: 0.5, 0.75, 1 and 2 mm.
SENB specimens were tested using a Zwick/Roell Z005 testing
machine with a maximum force of 5 kN, under displacement con-
trol with a loading rate of 1 mm/min at room temperature. The
recorded load–displacement curves were linear, without any sig-
nificant non-linearity, and the fracture occurred suddenly, indicat-
ing a brittle behaviour.
The generalized notch stress intensity factors (NSIFs – K uI and
K uII ) were determined along the notch bisector, according to
Lazzarin and Filippi [39], Zappalorto and Lazzarin [40]:
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi ðrh Þ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi ðsrh Þ
K uI ¼ 2pr h¼0
; K uII ¼ 2pr h¼0
ð1Þ
1 þ q=2r 1  q=2r
where rh and srh are the stresses and (r, h) are the polar coordinates
(see Fig. 1a and b). Stress distributions rh and srh were obtained per-
forming a linear elastic finite element analyses under plain strain
conditions using ABAQUS 6.13 software. Bi-quadratic finite ele-
ments with reduced integration CPS8R 8-node were considered,
with a refined mesh around the U-notch tip. The mean values K uI
and K uII were computed over the distance 0.4q starting from the
notch tip, as it is recommended in [41]. The mixed mode ratio
was quantified using the mode mixity through the dimensionless
parameter Me:
!
2 K uI
e 1
M ¼ tan ð2Þ
p K uII
proposed by Ayatollahi and Torabi [42]. For each loading configura-
tion, the mode mixity parameter Me slightly depends on the notch
radius, see Table 2.
3.2. Asymmetric semi-circular bend (ASCB) specimens
ASCB specimens with vertical crack were considered for mixed
mode loading, Fig. 2. The crack tip was introduced using a razor
blade. Different types of applied mixed mode are easily obtained
only by changing one of the supports position (S2) and keeping
constant the other support (S1). The load is applied on the symme-
try axis of the specimen using three point bending grips. Stress
intensity factors (SIFs) solution for ASCB specimens is expressed
in the form, [43]:
F pffiffiffiffiffiffi
Km ¼ paY m ða=R; S1 =R; S2 =RÞ; m ¼ I; II ð3Þ
2Rt
where Ym represents the non-dimensional SIFs and were obtained by
finite element analysis [39] and are plotted in Fig. 3 for a crack length
a = 20 mm, specimen radius R = 40 mm, distance to fixed support
S1 = 30 mm, thickness t = 10 mm, resulting a/R = 0.5, S1/R = 0.75. It
could be observed that changing the distance S2 from 30 mm to
3 mm, the loading conditions change from pure mode I to dominant
mode II conditions. Moreover, using a polynomial interpolation the
exact position of left support, leading to pure mode II loading condi-
tion, was determined at distance S2 = 2.66 mm.
The tests were carried out on a Zwick/Roell Z005 testing
machine with a maximum load of 5 kN, under displacement con-
trol with a loading rate of 1 mm/min at room temperature. For
each material and support position, four specimens were tested.
64 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69

Fig. 1. SENB specimen geometries (dimensions are in millimeters) – (a) normal notch, (b) tilted notch.

Table 2
Geometry and average maximum fracture load for tested SENB specimens, Necuron 1020 (density 1218 kg/m3).

q (mm) S2 (mm) m (mm) x (°) Fmax (N) K uI (MPa m0.5) K uII (MPa m0.5) Me (–)

0.50 60 0 90 440.5 2.893 0.000 1.000

12 4 90 1775 2.651 0.548 0.870
12 4 90 1230 2.590 1.408 0.683
12 24 90 1890 2.636 2.073 0.576
12 9 135 1365 1.044 2.498 0.252
7.5 9 135 1830 0.200 3.061 0.042
0.75 60 0 90 490.5 3.262 0.000 1.000
12 4 90 1985 2.995 0.619 0.870
12 4 90 1395 2.963 1.690 0.670
12 24 90 2150 3.010 2.474 0.562
12 9 135 1465 1.079 2.748 0.238
7.5 9 135 2080 0.186 3.579 0.033
1.00 60 0 90 518 3.486 0.000 1.000
12 4 90 2120 3.224 0.665 0.871
12 4 90 1465 3.132 1.866 0.658
12 24 90 2240 3.142 2.689 0.549
12 9 135 1550 1.038 2.945 0.216
8 9 135 2110 0.226 3.726 0.039
2.00 60 0 90 640 4.510 0.000 1.000
12 4 90 2570 4.019 0.812 0.873
12 4 90 1860 4.077 2.811 0.616
12 24 90 2730 3.868 3.789 0.507
12 9 135 1695 0.863 3.440 0.156
9 9 135 2165 0.177 4.185 0.027

3.3. Influence of notch radius on the apparent notch fracture toughness

Fig. 4 summarises the experimental results of the mode I (a) and

mode II (b) apparent notch fracture toughness determined on
U-notched (q = 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 2.0 mm) and cracked (q = 0)
specimens for Necuron 1020. It could be observed a fairly linear
dependence of the apparent fracture toughness on the notch

Fig. 2. The geometry of the ASCB specimen.

The recorded load–displacement curves were linear (no significant

non-linearity identified) and the fracture occurred suddenly,
indicating that the specimens failed in a brittle manner. Table 3
presents the average fracture load values Fmax obtained at each
loading configuration for the two considered materials. Fig. 3. The variation of non-dimensional SIFs for ASCB specimen.
 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69 65

Table 3
Experimental results for mixed mode fracture tests on ASCB specimens.

Necuron S1 (mm) S2 (mm) Fmax (N) K I (MPa m0.5) K II (MPa m0.5) Me (–)

651 30 30 704.3 1.286 0.000 1.000

30 12 1340.0 1.183 0.322 0.830
30 8 1622.5 0.899 0.542 0.651
30 6 1910.0 0.670 0.747 0.472
30 4 2133.3 0.333 0.966 0.206
30 2.6 2130.0 0.011 1.073 0.004
1020 30 30 1586.7 2.860 0.000 1.000
30 12 2857.5 2.500 0.687 0.830
30 8 4056.7 2.207 1.351 0.651
30 6 4530.0 1.622 1.765 0.472
30 4 4458.0 0.677 2.022 0.206
30 2.6 4839.7 0.015 2.424 0.004

Fig. 4. Critical values of notch stress intensity factors versus notch radius.

radius. Such a dependence is very useful for determining the
apparent notch fracture toughness of notched specimens with dif-
ferent notch radius. Similar relationships were proposed in the lit-
erature: by Taylor plotting the notch fracture toughness versus the
square root of notch radius [44], respectively by Gόmez et al. pre-
senting the normalized notch fracture toughness versus nondi-
mensional notch root radius, [45].
4. Theoretical framework
4.1. The volume-based Strain Energy Density (SED) criterion
Berto and Lazzarin [31], and later Radaj and Vormwald [46],
presented a comprehensive overview of the volume-based strain
energy density criterion. Below, only a reminder of the main con-
cepts of the SED regarding brittle fracture of notched components
is reviewed.
SED criterion assumes that failure occurs when the mean value
by ‘‘the maximum normal stress existing at the edge at the moment
preceding the cracking” determined on tensile specimens with
semi-circular notches, [31].
Firstly, Lazzarin and Zambardi [22] proposed the local SED
approach for the case of sharp V-notches under mixed mode I–II
loading conditions. The analytical development refers to the in-
plane stress–strain field close to the V-notch tip (Williams [47],
Lazzarin and Tovo [48]) and considers a circular sector centred at
the notch tip as critical volume (area), Fig. 5a. An isotropic and
linear-elastic material was assumed. The strain energy density
averaged in the circular sector of radius R was given as a function
of notch stress intensity factors K V1 and K V2 :
1 I1 ðcÞ  V k1 1 2 1 I2 ðcÞ  V k2 1 2
WðRC Þ ¼ K R þ K R ð6Þ
E 4k1 c 1 C E 4k2 c 2 C
where
Z þc Z þc

W of deformation energy in a local finite volume around the notch

I1 ðcÞ ¼ f 1 ðhÞdh; I2 ðcÞ ¼ f 2 ðhÞdh ð7Þ
c c
tip (control volume) reaches a material critical value W C [22]:
Functions f1(h) and f2(h) are dependent on the notch opening
W 6 WC ð4Þ angle and on Poisson’s ratio and can be determined analytically
for each notch opening angle 2a, k1 and k2 are Williams’ eigenval-
independent of the notch opening angle and loading type. If the ues, [47]. In plane problems, the control volume becomes a circle
material exhibits an ideally brittle behaviour until fracture, the for cracked geometries, Fig. 5b.
parameter W C is calculated from the ultimate tensile strength ru: The radius RC of the control volume (area), where the critical
 value WC occurs, is considered as a material parameter indepen-
W C ¼ r2u 2E ð5Þ
dent of the notch opening angle 2a. Its value is determined from
Under the situations when plain specimens exhibit a non-linear the plain strain fracture toughness KIC and from the static strength
behaviour, whereas the notched specimens behave linearly, ru, and turns out to be in the plane strain conditions, Yosibash et al.
Seweryn [7] recommended that the stress ru should be replaced [49]:
66 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69

Fig. 5. Control volume for sharp V-notch (a), crack (b) and rounded V-notch under mode I loading (c), Lazzarin and Berto [30].

Fig. 6. Control volume under mode I (a) and mixed I-II mode (b) loading for U-shaped notches, according to Lazzarin et al. [30].

 2
ð1 þ mÞð5  8mÞ K IC
RC ¼
4p ru
For plane stress conditions, Lazzarin and Berto [50] derived the
corresponding expression:
 2
5  3m K C
RC ¼
4p ru
where KC is evaluated under appropriate constraint conditions.
Afterwards Lazzarin and Berto [23] extended the local SED
approach from sharp to blunt V- and U-notches. The analytical
developments were carried out under tensile loading (mode I)
using the stress distribution ahead of the notch tip proposed by
Filippi et al. [51] and considering an isotropic and linear elastic
material. For rounded V-notches, a crescent-shaped control vol-
ume bounded by two radii differently centred was introduced: a
circular notch edge with radius q as the inner boundary and a cir-
cle arc with radius r0 + RC as the outer boundary, (Fig. 5c). The
length r0 represents the distance between the origin of the polar
coordinates (used to express the stress field) and the notch tip.
Following this track, under mode I loading, Lazzarin and Berto
[23] obtained the elastic average SED in the form:
r2max
W 1 ¼ Fð2aÞHð2a; RC =qÞ
E
where rmax represents the maximum notch stress. Values of the
functions Fð2aÞ and Hð2a; RC =qÞ numerically derived are listed in
Table 4
Values of material parameters for local SED criterion.
tables for different notch opening angles 2a, different RC/q ratios
ð8Þ and Poisson’s ratio values in [23]. Substituting the stress rmax by
the generalized notch stress intensity factor K V1q , Gómez et al. [24]
proposed a compact form for Eq. (10):
 2
K V1q 1
ð9Þ W 1 ¼ Hð2a; RC =qÞ ð11Þ
E q2ð1k1 Þ
For U-notches, when 2a = 0 and r0 = q/2 (Fig. 6a), Gómez et al.
[24] simplified the Eqs. (10) and (11) as follows:
 2
K V1q
pr2max
W 1 ¼ HðRC =qÞ ¼ HðRC =qÞ ð12Þ
4E Eq
Under mixed I–II mode conditions (meaning tensile and in-
plane shear loading) the maximum principal stress rmax occurs
on a notch edge point determined by the polar angle u, out of
the bisector plane. Gómez et al. [24] assumed that the crescent-
shaped volume is centred at this point, with no change in its shape.
This hypothesis involves that the control volume is rotated by the
polar angle u around the base point of radius q (Radaj and
Vormwald [46]). Also, the angle u indicates the crack initiation
point and the crack propagation direction assumed as normal to
ð10Þ the maximum principal stress on the notch edge. Thus, the proce-
dure developed for mode I loading was extended to mixed I–II
mode conditions being numerically validated.
For the investigated polyurethane materials, the material
parameters calculated using data listed in Tables 1 and 3, and
Eqs. (5) and (8) are presented below side by side with the PMMA
(Table 4).

Material RC (mm) WC (MJ m3)

4.2. The Theory of Critical Distances (TCD)
Necuron 651 0.220 0.489
Necuron 1020 0.206 0.935
PMMA [7,22] 0.085 1.834
The Theory of Critical Distances (TCD) postulates that the brittle
fracture of notched components can be estimated using the linear-
 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69
Fig. 7. Comparison between experimental and predicted values of the critical load for SENB U-notched specimens made from Necuron 1020: (a) Me ¼ 1:0, (b) M e ¼ 0:6,
(c) M e ¼ 0:2.
Fig. 8. Comparison between experimental and predicted values of the critical load
for SENB U-notched specimens made from Necuron 1020 (notch radius 1 mm).
elastic stress distribution at notch tip, through an appropriate
effective stress reff, [5,52,53]. TCD use two material dependent
parameters: the characteristic length L and the critical stress r0.
According to the Point method (PM), the failure occurs when the
effective stress reff reaches the inherent stress r0, at a critical dis-
tance L/2 from the notch tip:
   
L L
reff ¼ rn r ¼ ; h ¼ r1 r ¼ ; h ¼ r0
2 2
where angle h define the plane experiencing the maximum normal
stress rn. The experimental results show that the critical stress r0 is
equal to the ultimate tensile strength ru for brittle materials
(ceramics, some composite materials), instead for polymers the
stress parameter r0 is larger than ru.
Fig. 9. Comparison between experimental and predicted values of the critical load for ASCB cracked specimens.
67
The characteristic length L under static loading could be evalu-
ated on the basis of linear elastic fracture mechanics when an ide-
ally brittle behaviour is implied:
 2
1 K IC
L¼ ð14Þ
p r0
where KIC represents the plane strain fracture toughness.
For materials which present a slightly non-linearity before final
fracture, a semi-empirical method is recommended to find the
material parameters L and r0. Based on the experimental values
of strength determined on two different notched geometries, and
corresponding maximum normal stress rn distribution obtained
through a linear elastic finite element analysis, the material
parameters are the coordinates (L/2, r0) of the intersection points
for the rn distributions plotted in the same graph for the analysed
notched geometries.
A solution for mixed mode loading problems was proposed by
Susmel and Taylor [52] investigating the strength of notched bars
made of PMMA subjected to combined tensile and torsion loads.
They expressed the critical distance L in a linear form dependent
of the degree of multiaxiality b:
Ljbðd; rÞj ¼ A  bðd; rÞ þ B ð15Þ
where b changes as the orientation of the critical plane d changes:
bðd; rÞ ¼ r3 ðd; rÞ=r1 ðd; rÞ ð16Þ
ð13Þ
The material constants A and B were determined by Susmel and
Taylor [52] using a linear combination between mode I loading
(b = 0) and mode III loading (b = 1).
Taylor et al. [53] investigated an automotive component under
multiaxial loading using TCD method for prediction of the fatigue
life. They used the maximum principal stresses r1, measured along
68 R. Negru et al. / Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 79 (2015) 62–69
a line drawn starting from the hot spot in a direction normal to the
r1 stress. Usually, this direction is normal to the outer surface of
the notched components.
Important consequences comes out from these studies: the crit-
ical strength r0 does not depends on the degree of multiaxiality;
whilst the characteristic distance L changes with this parameter.
Recently, starting from the aforementioned observations, Negru
et al. [54] proposed a similar equation that links L and the dimen-
sionless parameter Me for mixed mode I–II loading conditions:
LðM e Þ ¼ A  M e þ B
where constants A and B are determined for two loading configura-
tion, mode I (Me = 1) and mode II (Me = 0).
In order to evaluate A and B constants the experimental results
obtained for two different notch geometries (presented in Tables 2
and 3) have been considered: (a) SENB U-notched specimens with
q = 2 mm; (b) ASCB specimens. Under mode I loading TCD (applied
in Point Method version) generates a critical distance L/2 value
equal to 0.148 mm and an inherent stress r0 equal to 98.9 MPa.
Under Mode II loading the critical distance L/2 was found at
0.093 mm, while the critical stress was almost the same [54]. The
coefficients from Eq. (17) were found to be A = 0.110 mm and
B = 0.186 mm.
5. Results and discussions
For SENB U-notched specimens the results of the predicted frac-
ture loads Fmax based on both approaches (TCD and local SED)
together with the experimental values are presented versus notch
radius in Fig. 7 at different mode-mixities Me. Fig. 8 presents the
influence of the mode mixity for notch radius q = 1 mm. These
results were obtained for Necuron 1020.
Two materials (Necuron 1020 and 651) were considered for
ASCB cracked specimens. Fig. 9 shows a comparison between pre-
dicted and experimental fracture loads versus the mode mixity.
TCD predictions were performed only for Necuron 1020. Further
experimental investigations will be carried out in order to deter-
mine A and B parameters from Eq. (17) for Necuron 651.
The predicted values of the fracture loads obtained by local SED
and TCD are in good agreement (±15%) with the experimental ones.
It could be observed that TCD slightly overestimates the maximum
fracture loads, while the local SED underestimate it. Higher errors
were found for predominantly mode II loading on ASCB specimens
(Fig. 9a and b). Some possible explanations could be the appear-
ance of small indentations produced on the regions of applied load
and supports, and the contact friction of the crack surfaces for pre-
dominantly mode II loadings.
All local SED predictions are based on the control radius RC
determined through Eq. (8) in which the mode I fracture toughness
is considered. However, the TCD method uses the stress field distri-
butions in mode I and mode II conditions for equating L = L(Me).
6. Conclusions
SENB U-notched specimens and ASCB cracked specimens were
experimentally investigated at room temperature and considered
for theoretical predictions. Two modern fracture criteria, the local
SED and the TCD, were applied to predict maximum fracture load
for two different PUR materials. Both criteria provide reasonable
predictions for the fracture load and represent useful engineering
tools.
Acknowledgments
This work was carried out in the framework of the project
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2012-3-2-0068, contract number 206/2012
financed by the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research,
CNCS – UEFISCDI.
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ð17Þ
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