Prediction of ductile failure in Ti–6Al–4V using a local strain-to-failure criterion

In this article, we provide the details of the predictive simulations performed by the University of Texas team in response to the second Sandia Fracture Challenge (SFC2) (Boyce et al. in Int J Fract, 2016). The methods used are an adaptation of those used in the first SFC. Specifically, the material constitutive model was calibrated using tensile and shear test data through an inverse method. A strain-to-failure criterion was postulated using the loading history from the first point to fail in both a tension and shear test. These models are then embedded in a highly refined finite element simulation to perform a blind prediction of the failure behavior for the SFC2 geometry. These results are compared with experiments performed by Sandia National Laboratories and additional experiments that were performed at the University of Texas at Austin, in which full-field strain measurements and high speed videography were performed in order to further understand the deformation and failure of these specimens.