Effects of residual stresses on fracture behaviour-experimental results and assessment methods

The influence of residual stresses on fracture behaviour depends on the level of plasticity in a component. Under predominantly elastic conditions, residual stresses can significantly reduce the load-carrying capacity of a defective structure. Conversely, the effects of residual stresses can be minimal when plasticity is widespread. In this paper, a set of experiments with well-characterized residual stresses is used to demonstrate these effects. A new method for assessing defects in practical structures with residual stresses is then described and related to existing methods. The method is applied to the experimental data and shown to be generally accurate and yet conservative.