J–T characterized stress fields of surface-cracked metallic liners bonded to a structural backing – I. Uniaxial tension

Surface crack-tip stress fields in a tensile loaded metallic liner bonded to a structural backing are developed using a two-parameter J–T characterization and elastic–plastic modified boundary layer (MBL) finite element solutions. The Ramberg–Osgood power law hardening material model with deformation plasticity theory is implemented for the metallic liner. In addition to an elastic plate backed surface crack liner model, elastic–plastic homogeneous surface crack models of various thicknesses were tested. The constraint effects that arise from the elastic backing on the thin metallic liner and the extent to which J–T two parameter solutions characterize the crack-tip fields are explored in detail. The increased elastic constraint imposed by the backing on the liner results in an enhanced range of validity of J–T characterization. The higher accuracy of MBL solutions in predicting the surface crack-tip fields in the bonded model is partially attributed to an increase in crack-tip triaxiality and a consequent increase in the effective liner thickness from a fracture standpoint. After isolating the effects of thickness, the constraint imposed by the continued elastic linearity of the backing significantly enhanced stress field characterization. In fact, J and T along with MBL solutions predicted stresses with remarkable accuracy for loads beyond full yielding. The effects of backing stiffness variation were also investigated and results indicate that the backing to liner modulus ratio does not significantly influence the crack tip constraint. Indeed, the most significant effect of the backing is its ability to impose an elastic constraint on the liner. Results from this study will facilitate the implementation of geometric limits in testing standards for surface cracked tension specimens bonded to a structural backing.