This paper reports an extension of a previous study that compared methods of evaluating J by the crack mouth opening displacement and by surface strain gradients. Here, the surface strain gradients are measured by three-dimensional digital image correlation. The results herein represent a small test matrix that involved evaluation of the J-integral for clamped single-edge notched tensile specimens from API 5L X65 base-metal, weld metal and the adjacent heat affected zone; the J-integral was evaluated by a standardized procedure utilizing the crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) and by the contour integral method on an external surface strain contour. Digital image correlation provides sufficient full-field strain data for use by this method and is considerably more robust than surface-mounted strain gage instrumentation. A series of validity checks are presented that demonstrate that the data are useful and valuable. Experimental determination of the J-integral is not limited to thoroughly analyzed test geometries and may be achieved with limited instrumentation. Furthermore, the method described does not require a determination of crack size nor any instrumentation that requires access to the crack mouth.
展开▼
