Abstract
A method of fracture toughness testing is proposed in which cylindrical surface-notched specimens are tested in torsion. Analyses are presented which show that the values of K1 which are induced are not sensitive to the precise shape of the notch. Also, the existence in the torsion specimen of a non-constant remote stress, and a curved specimen surface, are shown by finite element modelling to have only a small effect on the K1 values. These findings are used to justify the use of simple models to analyse results from the proposed test.

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