What Does
Stress Intensity Factor (K) Mean?
The stress intensity factor (K) is used in the field of fracture mechanics. It predicts stress intensity near the tip of a crack caused by a remote load or residual stresses.
The magnitude of K depends on:
- Sample geometry
- Size and location of the crack
- Magnitude of load
- Distribution of load
The stress intensity factor is a single-parameter characterization of the crack tip stress field.
Corrosionpedia Explains Stress Intensity Factor (K)
The following equation describes stress intensity:
Where ß describes the relationship between gross geometrical features to the stress intensity factors. ß can be a function of crack length as well as other geometrical features. K represents nominal stress that is remote from the crack.
The above equation shows that the intensity of the stress field — and therefore the stresses in the crack tip region — are linearly proportional to remotely applied stress and proportional to the square root of half the crack's length.
Stress intensity can be determined by:
- Finite element analysis
- ASTM E1681 standard method
- Weight function method