Determination of the Micro-support Constant p of Neuber's Rule Using Elastic-plastic Fracture Mechanics

There are two analytical concepts which have been widely used in investigating fatigue crack growth (FCG) under variable amplitude loading (VAL). One is crack-closure concept and the other is known as residual models.[1-2]. The current article emphasises the importance of the parameter p calculation as a micro-support constant in Neuber's rule. This parameter plays an important role in all relative equations for stress/strain analysis in the plastic zone. In particular, determination of residual stress ahead of the crack tip region can be directly used in the calculation of total value of stress intensity factor (SIF) in the Unified two-parameter driving forces (UniGrow) model [3]. This paper highlights the significance of the calculation of parameter p in all models based on calculation of residual stress ahead of the crack tip.