An engineering assessment of a steel component under tension loading of 3 MN is to be carried out. The component has width, W = 20 cm and thickness, B = 4.4 cm. A surface (edge) crack of depth a = 2.32 cm has been detected in the component. The yield strength of the material, σy = 433.5 MPa. Plain strain limit load solution for this geometry is PL = 1.455bβBσy, where b is the ligament width = W – a and β = [1 + (a/b)2]1/2 – a/b. The tensile behaviour of the steel is represented in the plastic regime by a power law relationship, /0=(/y), with ε the total strain (elastic + plastic strain), ε0 = σy/E, α = 1, and n = 9. For stresses below σy the material is linear with Young's modulus, E = 200 GPa and Poisson's ratio, ν = 0.3. Using the reference stress estimate determine the J value in MPa m.
