Estimations on J-Integral and Tearing Modulus T from a Single Specimen Test Record

This paper presents methods for evaluating the J-integral and the tearing moduli from a single test record. Several different aspects of the problem have been combined in this work. An overview of the conditions for separability of the load into multiplicative functions of displacement and crack length as well as for the existence of η-factors is presented. The consequences of expressing J by a Merkle-Corten type formula are explored in terms of the crack increment, da, the tearing modulus, T, and J itself, including the case of growing cracks. A simple method is suggested to obtain the correct J for crack growth and T from nothing more than the test record itself; the procedure is applied to available experimental data and the results are compared with those obtained by other formulae. Additional physical interpretation is given on the Tmat-versus-Tapp stability criterion and the remaining compliance capacity CCR is defined.