On the Line Method apparent fracture toughness evaluations: Experimental overview, validation and some consequences on fracture assessments

• The Line Method is here applied to provide evaluations of the apparent fracture toughness.
• The methodology is validated through 555 fracture tests on different materials.
• The Line Method conveniently addresses the physics of the notch effect.
• The Line Method is a valuable tool for the fracture assessment of notches.

This paper analyses the capacity of the Line Method to provide evaluations of the apparent fracture toughness, which is the fracture resistance exhibited by materials in notched conditions. With this aim, the experimental results obtained in 555 fracture tests are homogeneously presented and compared to the Line Method evaluations. It is remarked that the Line Method provides adequate estimates of the apparent fracture toughness, and also that it conveniently addresses the physics of the notch effect. All this makes the Line Method a valuable scientific and engineering tool for the fracture assessment of materials containing notches.