Abstract
Over the last thirty years the R-curve concept has evolved from its origin in a simple energy balance argument to the point where a number of R-curve based fracture assessment methods have been developed. In spite of these developments, the thermodynamic foundations of the R-curve concept have remained relatively unexplored. In this paper the R-curve concept is re-examined through consideration of the dissipation rate for a cracked body subjected to gradually applied monotonically increasing loads. Results of the analysis are consistent with accepted interpretations of the R-curve and fracture instability. The dissipation rate analysis also leads to an analytical J versus Δa relationship which has several features in common with experimentally determined R-curves.
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Short, J.S., Hoeppner, D.W. R-curve thermodynamics revisited. Int J Fract 45, 145–157 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037172
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037172