Abstract
In the present study, the relation between the plastic and the elastic stress intensity factors, Kp and Ke, for various V-shaped notch problems is studied by using the finite element analysis. Detailed results for mode I under plane stress and plane strain conditions are investigated. Based on the numerical results, it is found that there is a one-to-one correspondence between Kp and Ke, even when the load is so large that the condition of the small scale yielding is not satisfied. Also, it is found that the values of Kp1-λe/Ke1-λp for various notch problems depend only on the notch opening angle γ and hardening exponent n. This enables one to evaluate the factor Kp for various notch problems without any plastic stress analysis.
