Analysis of Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Data in an Aircraft 7175-T7351 Al-Alloy Generated at Different Accredited Laboratories with Probability Life Assessment Example

Estimation of safety and reliability of engineering structures and components containing cracks or crack-like defects is one of the most important application field of fracture mechanics particularly in components, where limited defects can be accepted. Such design philosophy is usually called “damage tolerance”, formerly “safe life”. In such cases, safety and reliability of further operation, residual life assessment and specification of interval of damage development inspections are important issues. Existing exact knowledge on fatigue crack growth (FCG) parameters is an essential condition. Results of FCG measurement in an Al 7175-T7351 alloy of a particularly high homogeneity, carried out as a part of the Proficiency Test Program organized by Exova in France are presented in this work. Results were evaluated in terms of parameters C and m of the Paris dependence in the stable growth region. To pass the test program successfully, a particular attention was paid to improve and verify direct current potential drop (DCPD) method being used for the crack length measurement. In the paper, the results of the FCG measurements generated by different participating laboratories were analyzed. A distinct correlation between C and m values, so called “coupling”, was found and demonstrated. Some paradoxes of the assessment of laboratories were addressed, namely the fact that a laboratory assessed as unacceptable concerning one of the parameters generated much more accurate and useful data than another laboratory with a better assessment. Eventually, the results including their scatter were used to provide an example of probabilistic assessment of a simple beam residual life to show practical actual impacts of the scatter on the life assessment.