Crack-fabrication techniques and their effects on the fracture toughness and CTOD for fresh-water columnar ice

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Abstract
The effects of notch acuity (crack-tip sharpness) on the fracture toughness of S2 ice were investigated using six groups of single-edge-notched-bend (SENB) specimens with different crack (or notch) root radii fabricated by six different methods. The mean value and standard deviations of the apparent fracture-toughness values K Q of the specimens with blunt notches were significantly higher than those of the specimens with sharp cracks. The results presented in a plot of fracture toughness versus , where p is the crack-tip radius, provide an estimate of the required notch acuity for fracture-toughness testing. The microstructural features in the immediate vicinity of the crack tip and the crack-tip geometry govern the magnitude of the apparent fracture toughness of the ice. The crack-tip-opening-displacement (CTOD) measured in this study indicates the existence of microplastic deformation in the vicinity of the crack tip at the initiation of unstable fracture.