Fatigue Crack Closure - A Review

The phenomenon of fatigue crack closure is now recognised as one of the most influential mechanisms operating during fatigue. This literature survey traces the development of research into fatigue crack closure and has been divided to present the two major approaches. The first part covers early work carried out between 1970 to 1980 which broadly speaking, adopted a continuum mechanics approach. The second part covers the period 1980 to 1988 when a mechanistic approach was widely adopted. The survey was highlighted, firstly, the critical nature of experimental technique in the achievement of a meaningful measurement of crack closure load and secondly, that a diversity of mechanisms may operate to produce closure. Particular attention has been given to crack closure in aluminum alloys and also to work relating crack closure to the corrosion fatigue situation.