Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ductile Fracture in ASTM A992 Steel Tensile Specimens at Elevated Temperatures

  • Published:
Fire Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for the prediction of ductile fracture observed in steel specimens during tension tests at elevated temperatures. This methodology consists of two steps. First, true stress–strain curves that include the post-necking response are developed at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Second, a stress-modified critical strain (SMCS) fracture model is calibrated and utilized to model the ductile fracture behavior of structural steels exposed to elevated temperatures. Development of true stress–strain curves and calibration of SMCS fracture model parameters are based on the tension tests data of ASTM A992 steel tension specimen together with the simulation results of the tested tension specimens in Abaqus at elevated temperatures. The developed true stress–strain curves and fracture model parameters are further validated against the additional test results of ASTM A992 steel in tension that were not used in the calibration of the fracture models. Sensitivity analysis on fracture prediction considering the effect of the mesh size and the variation of fracture model parameters are investigated. The analysis results suggest that the predicted fracture initiation strain is mildly sensitive to the effect of mesh size and variation of fracture model parameters. The robustness and limitations of the proposed methodology in predicting ductile fracture at elevated temperatures were further investigated. Overall, the developed methodology for ductile fracture in tensile specimens of ASTM A992 steel was demonstrated to reasonably predict tensile fracture at temperatures up to 1000°C.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Calobrezi GC, Silva VP (2020) On the local buckling of steel “I” profiles in a fire situation. Fire Technol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-020-01009-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Al Haddad HO, Hantouche EG, Al Khatib KK (2019) Numerical studies on the creep behavior of shear endplate connection assemblies under transient heating. Fire Technol 55:2341–2367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-019-00869-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dwaikat M, Kodur V (2010) Effect of location of restraint on fire response of steel beams. Fire Technol 46:109–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-009-0085-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kucukler M (2020) Lateral instability of steel beams in fire: behaviour, numerical modelling and design. J Constr Steel Res 170:106095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2020.106095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Mohammed A, Afshan S (2019) Numerical modelling and fire design of stainless-steel hollow section columns. Thin-Walled Struct 144:106243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tws.2019.106243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lou G, Wang C, Jiang J, Jiang Y, Wang L, Li GQ (2018) Experimental and numerical study on thermal-structural behavior of steel portal frames in real fires. Fire Saf J 98:48–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2018.04.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kotsovinos P, Atalioti A, Mcswiney N, Lugaresi F, Sadowski AJ (2020) Analysis of the thermomechanical response of structural cables subject to fire. Fire Technol 56:515–543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-019-00889-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cai W (2015) Steel fracture modeling at elevated temperature for structural-fire engineering analysis. Dissertation, University of Texas at Austin

  9. ASTM A992/A992M, Standard Specification for Structural Steel Shapes (2015) ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

  10. Anderson TL (2017) Fracture mechanics—fundamentals and applications. CRC Press

    Book  Google Scholar 

  11. Zhu Y, Engelhardt MD (2018) Prediction of ductile fracture for metal alloys using a shear modified void growth model. Eng Fract Mech 190:491–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2017.12.042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. McClintock FA (1968) A criterion for ductile fracture by the growth of holes. J Appl Mech 1(2):363–371. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3601204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Rice JR, Tracey DM (1969) On the ductile enlargement of voids in triaxial stress fields. J Mech Phys Solids 17(3):201–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(69)90033-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Hancock JW, Mackenzie AC (1976) On the mechanisms of ductile failure in high-strength steels subjected to multi-axial stress-states. J Mech Phys Solids 24(2–3):147–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(76)90024-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Gurson AL (1977) Continuum theory of ductile rupture by void nucleation and growth: part I—Yield criteria and flow rules for porous ductile media. J Eng Mater Technol 99(1):2–15. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3443401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hancock JW, Brown DK (1983) On the role of strain and stress state in ductile failure. J Mech Phys Solids 31(1):1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(83)90017-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Tvergaard V, Needleman A (1984) Analysis of the cup-cone fracture in a round tensile bar. Acta Metall 32(1):157–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6160(84)90213-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Johnson GR, Cook WH (1985) Fracture characteristics of three metals subjected to various strains, strain rates, temperatures and pressures. Eng Fract Mech 21(1):31–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7944(85)90052-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Bao Y, Wierzbicki T (2004) On fracture locus in the equivalent strain and stress triaxiality space. Int J Mech Sci 46(1):81–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2004.02.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hooputra H, Gese H, Dell H, Werner H (2004) A comprehensive failure model for crashworthiness simulation of aluminum extrusions. Int J Crashworthiness 9(5):449–464. https://doi.org/10.1533/ijcr.2004.0289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Myers AT, Kanvinde AM, Deierlein GG (2010) Calibration of the SMCS criterion for ductile fracture in steels: specimen size dependence and parameter assessment. J Eng Mech ASCE 136(11):1401–1410. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0000178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kiran R, Khandelwal K (2013) A micromechanical model for ductile fracture prediction in ASTM A992 steel. Eng Fract Mech 102:101–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2013.02.021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Jia LJ, Kuwamura H (2014) Ductile fracture simulation of structural steels under monotonic tension. J Struct Eng ASCE 140(5):04013115. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0000944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Khandelwal K, El-Tawil S (2014) A finite strain continuum damage model for simulating ductile fracture in steels. Eng Fract Mech 116:172–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2013.12.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Kanvinde AM, Deierlein GG (2006) The void growth model and the stress modified critical strain model to predict ductile fracture in structural steels. J Struct Eng ASCE 132(12):1907–1918. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2006)132:12(1907)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kanvinde AM, Deierlein GG (2007) Cyclic void growth model to assess ductile fracture initiation in structural steels due to ultra-low cycle fatigue. J Struct Eng ASCE 133(6):701–712. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2007)133:6(701)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Cai W, Morovat MA, Engelhardt MD (2017) True stress-strain curves for ASTM A992 steel for fracture simulation at elevated temperatures. J Constr Steel Res 139(12):272–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2017.09.024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Lee J, Morovat MA, Hu G, Engelhardt MD, Taleff EM (2013) Experimental investigation of mechanical properties of ASTM A992 steel at elevated temperatures. Eng J AISC 50(4):249–272

    Google Scholar 

  29. Abaqus/Standard Version 6.12 User’s Manual (2012) Providence, RI

  30. Morovat MA (2014) Creep buckling behavior of steel columns subjected to fire. Dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, Austin

  31. Abaqus/Explicit Version 6.12 User’s Manual (2012) Providence, RI

Download references

Acknowledgements

The research reported herein was made possible through previous funding from the National Science Foundation for research projects on Elevated Temperature Performance of Beam End Framing Connections, on Creep Buckling of Steel Columns Subjected to Fire and on Elevated Temperature Performance of Shear Connectors for Composite Beams, (NSF Awards 0700682, 0927819 and 1031099, respectively). The support of the National Science Foundation and of the former NSF Program Directors M.P. Singh and Douglas Foutch is gratefully acknowledged. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Wenyu Cai

  2. University of Texas at Austin, 10100 Burnet Road, Building 177, Austin, TX, 78758, USA

    Mohammed A. Morovat

  3. Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Michael D. Engelhardt

  4. State Key Laboratory for Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Guo-Qiang Li

Authors
  1. Wenyu Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammed A. Morovat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael D. Engelhardt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Guo-Qiang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammed A. Morovat.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Cai, W., Morovat, M.A., Engelhardt, M.D. et al. Ductile Fracture in ASTM A992 Steel Tensile Specimens at Elevated Temperatures. Fire Technol 58, 1417–1443 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-021-01209-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-021-01209-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation