Stress intensity
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The stress intensity factor is a theoretical construct applicable to a homogeneous elastic material. It is useful for providing a failure criterion for brittle materials. Stress intensity has the symbol, K. It characterizes the stress distribution close to the tip of a crack in a body under load and depends on load and test-piece geometry. Failure occurs when K reaches a critical value Kc, which is characteristic of the material and geometry of the body.
Mathematical formuli relating the local stress field to stress intensity are found on the web at <http://www.efunda.com/formulae/solid_mechanics/fracture_mechanics/fm_lefm_stress.cfm>
A compendium of stress intensity factors for various load and specimen geometries is found in The Stress Analysis of Cracks Handbook by Hiroshi Tada, P. C. Paris, and George Rankine Irwin; American Society of Mechanical Engineers; 3rd edition (February, 2000). Software to calculate stress intensity is available in a program called pc-CRACK™ from Structural Integrity Associates
