Influence of specimen configuration and loading history on fatigue crack growth behaviour of 2024-T3 clad aluminium alloy

Experimental investigations have been carried out to study the effect of specimen configuration and loading history on the crack growth behaviour of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy at room temperature. It has been observed that fatigue crack growth rate in specimens loaded symmetrically is higher than that in specimens loaded asymmetrically. Further it has been observed that the crack growth rate under increasing stress intensity factor (SIF) range is higher than that under decreasing SIF range. These observations have been attributed to stress distribution ahead of the crack and the residual stresses developed during loading. © 1994.