Investigation of Double Notch Influence on Crack Propagation in S355 Steel: Experimental and Numerical Study

¹ Higher Institute of Maritimes Studies, Casablanca.
² Laboratory of Mechanics, Engineering and Innovation, National Higher School of Electricity and Mechanics, Hassan II University of Casablanca (UH2C), Maarif Casablanca 20100, Morocco
³ Higher Institute of Maritime Fisheries, Casablanca.
⁴ Laboratory of energy Engineering, Materials and Systems, ENSA, Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco

Abstract

This paper presents a study aimed at establishing a numerical finite element model of the tensile behavior of an S355 steel under the effect of double notching using CAST3M software. This approach is of significant importance in the understanding and design of mechanical structures. The main aim is to provide an effective method for assessing stress concentration and crack propagation in such specimens, which could help improve the reliability and durability of mechanical components.

The results indicate that maximum stress is found at the bottom of the notch. The numerical study also shows that this maximum stress gradually decreases along the specimen axis up to 2 mm, and then stabilizes at the nominal stress value. Furthermore, the stress concentration factor increases proportionally with crack length and applied stress. These findings offer valuable insights into the understanding of material behavior in the presence of cracks and stresses, and may contribute to the development of more accurate design and evaluation methods for steel structures.