Crack propagation studies in brittle materials

An analysis was made of cantilever beam specimens used for crack propagation studies, Included in this analysis were the effects of a plastic zone at the crack tip, beam rotation, and the viscoelastic response of the material. This analysis showed that application of a constant bending moment to the specimen rather than a constant load provides a test in which the strain energy release rate,G, is independent of crack length. Other advantages of this test configuration are that corrections for shear or beam rotation effects are not necessary. Results of this test on both glass and ceramics are reported.