Fracture failures of ship plates subjected to in-plane biaxial low-cycle fatigue
loading are generally the coupling result of accumulative plasticity and biaxial
low-cycle fatigue damage. A biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack growth analysis of a
hull structure that accounts for the accumulative plasticity effect can be
more suitable for the actual evaluation of the overall fracture performance
of the hull structure in severe sea conditions. An analytical model of
biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack propagation with a control parameter for
CTOD is
presented for a hull inclined-crack plate. A test was conducted for cruciform
specimens made of Q235 steel with an inclined crack to validate the presented
analysis. The biaxial accumulative plasticity behavior and the effects of biaxiality
and stress ratios were investigated. The results of this study reveal a strong
dependence of biaxial low-cycle fatigue crack propagation on biaxial accumulated
plasticity.