A Computer Program for Predicting Fatigue Crack Propagation

A general computer program has been developed for analytic fatigue crack growth. It is designed so that the user does not need to have an extensive background in Fracture Mechanics Theory. This FORTRAN program can analyze the growth of most common types of cracks and accounts for the transition from part-thru to completely thru-the-thickness crack. The input loading may be a mission profile or arbitrary cyclic stresses with or without concentrated loads and may be repeated a number of times. There are built-in corrections for geometry, plastic-zone size, plane-stress vs. plane-strain and applicability of Linear-Elastic-Fracture-Mechanics, and there are options available for crack growth rate calculations, retardation models and plastic zone corrections.