Influence of Material Thickness on the Ductile Fracture of Steel Plates for Shipbuilding

Abstract In the shipbuilding industry, risk of brittle fractures is relatively high because some units operate in arctic or subarctic zones and use thickness (up to 100 mm) steel plates their structures. This limited by employing certified materials with a specific impact strength, determined using Charpy method (for given design temperature) exercising control over welding processes (technology qualification, production supervision, non-destructive tests). However, for offshore constructions, such requirements may prove insufficient. For this reason, regulations employed constructing structures require conducting crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) tests welded joints thicknesses exceeding 40 mm tensile strength 50 other types. Since classification codes do not accept results CTOD conducted on specimens sub-sized dimensions, problem theoretically modelling construction destruction process key importance, as laboratory notched elements considerable (100 higher) are costly problems stemming from loads wide range recorded parameters uncommon. The aim research find relationship between material value, establishing verifying numerical model that allows recalculating result obtained sub-size specimen full- size ductile fracture mode. work presents conclusions compares them test elastic-plastic properties steel, typically used applications.