Surface cracks in finite thickness plates under thermal and displacement-controlled loads – Part 2: Crack propagation

• Surface cracks subjected to thermal or displacement-controlled loads are analyzed.
• Crack propagation simulations are performed using 3D finite element models.
• Differences in crack growth patterns and lives for different loading conditions are highlighted.

Surface cracks in finite-thickness plates subjected to thermal or displacement-controlled loads are considered with a focus on crack propagation. Detailed crack propagation analyses are performed and the effect of loading type on crack propagation patterns and lives are systematically investigated. The results show that although there are some slight differences between the crack propagation patterns and lives for the uniform stress and displacement loading, there exist increasingly higher differences for the bending stress and displacement loads during crack growth. It is shown that propagation lives are higher in the case of displacement/thermal loading compared to those of mechanical/stress loads.