Ratchetting limits for cracked bodies subjected to cyclic loads and temperatures

This paper describes a methodology capable of directly evaluating the ratchetting limits in cracked bodies, subjected to cyclic loads and temperatures, for an elastic–perfectly plastic material. The foundation behind the adopted numerical procedures, the Linear Matching Method (LMM), is described. This is then followed by the application of the method to the cracked Bree problem, under variations in cyclic loading histories and structural geometries. The results from the ensuing analyses revealed the method’s ability in coping with the effect of the elastic singularity at the crack tip. The applicability of such procedures is further examined, with additional solutions to an industrial problem considered in R5 the design and life assessment procedures used by British Energy in the UK.