1. Scope

1.1 This practice covers the design, preparation, and testing of surface-crack tension (SCT) specimens. It relates specifically to testing under continuously increasing force and excludes cyclic and sustained loadings. The quantity determined is the residual strength of a specimen having a semielliptical or circular-segment fatigue crack in one surface. This value depends on the crack dimensions and the specimen thickness as well as the characteristics of the material.

1.2 Metallic materials that can be tested are not limited by strength, thickness, or toughness. However, tests of thick specimens of tough materials may require a tension test machine of extremely high capacity. The applicability of this practice to nonmetallic materials has not been determined.

1.3 This practice is limited to specimens having a uniform rectangular cross section in the test section. The test section width and length must be large with respect to the crack length. Crack depth and length should be chosen to suit the ultimate purpose of the test.

1.4 Residual strength may depend strongly upon temperature within a certain range depending upon the characteristics of the material. This practice is suitable for tests at any appropriate temperature.

1.5 Residual strength is believed to be relatively insensitive to loading rate within the range normally used in conventional tension tests. When very low or very high rates of loading are expected in service, the effect of loading rate should be investigated using special procedures that are beyond the scope of this practice.

Note 1Further information on background and need for this type of test is given in the report of ASTM Task Group E24.01.05 on Part-Through-Crack Testing ( 1 ).

1.6 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines

E8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials

E338 Test Method of Sharp-Notch Tension Testing of High-Strength Sheet Materials

E399 Test Method for Linear-Elastic Plane-Strain Fracture Toughness K Ic of Metallic Materials

E466 Practice for Conducting Force Controlled Constant Amplitude Axial Fatigue Tests of Metallic Materials

E561 Test Method for K-R Curve Determination

E1823 Terminology Relating to Fatigue and Fracture Testing

Keywords

residual strength; surface crack; tensile force ;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 77.040.10 (Mechanical testing of metals)

DOI: 10.1520/E0740_E0740M-03R10E01

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