Critical defects in pressure vessels and pipes are generally found in the form of a semi-elliptical surface crack, and the analysis of which is consequently an important problem in engineering fracture mechanics. Furthermore, in addition to the tradit...
Critical defects in pressure vessels and pipes are generally found in the form of a semi-elliptical surface crack, and the analysis of which is consequently an important problem in engineering fracture mechanics. Furthermore, in addition to the traditional single parameter K or J-integral, the second parameter like T-stress should be measured to quantify the constraint effect. In this work, the validity of the line-spring finite element is investigated by comparing line-spring J-T solutions to the reference 3D finite element J-T solutions. A full 3D-mesh generating program for semi-elliptical surface cracks is employed to provide such reference 3D solutions. Then some structural characteristics of the surface-cracked T and L-joints are studied by mixed mode line-spring finite element. Negative T-stresses observed in T and L-joints indicate the necessity of J-T two parameter approach for analyses of surface-cracked T and L-joints.