Application of Equivalent CTOD Ratio to Fracture Assessment of Structural Components

Plastic constraint correction using the equivalent CTOD concept has been studied in the International Standardization of Fracture Toughness Evaluation Procedure for Fracture Assessment of Steel Structures project. This project was carried out over a 3-year period with the foundation of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, and the results were summarized in a draft standard “Method of constraint loss correction of CTOD fracture toughness for fracture assessment of steel component.” Equivalent CTOD ratio $β$ is proposed in terms of the constraint loss correction between the fracture performance of steel structures and fracture toughness tests using the Weibull stress as the driving force of the brittle fracture. This paper provides the application procedure of equivalent CTOD ratio to the fracture assessment of structural components. Equivalent CTOD ratio was taken in the failure assessment diagram, and discussed the applicability by comparison with large scale test results of structural component such as edge surface crack panel, center through-wall crack panel, and other geometries.