3. Crack propagation modeling

3.1 Paris Law

Crack propagation can be described in terms of three main stages:

• stage I: crack micropropagation around the K _s cracking threshold;

• stage II: Paris estate ;

• stage III: propagation accelerates as K _max approaches the critical FIC value, K _IC . Above K _IC , unstable fracture occurs.

Figure 10 describes these...