Fracture mechanics in design and service: ‘living with defects’ - Assessment of defects: the C.E.G.B. approach

Abstract
The failure of a structure is bounded by two extremes of behaviour: linear elastic and fully plastic. The procedures developed within the C.E.G.B. for assessing the effect of defects on the integrity of structures require the user to define the state of the structure in terms of each of these two extremes in turn. This is done by calculating the ratio of the applied loading condition to that required to cause failure. These two ratios then form the coordinates of a point on a failure assessment diagram. If the point falls inside the assessment line on that diagram, failure is avoided. The approach is extremely versatile in operation. The methods used to define the two ratios are chosen and justified by the user. This allows full advantage to be taken of a wide range of such methods, and the successive refinement of those methods for selected aspects as the assessment proceeds and the critical areas are identified. In addition, methods for dealing with specific problems such as thermal and residual stresses and ductile crack growth are shown to be readily incorporated.

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