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ABSTRACT

To enhance the integrity of manufactured steel plate structures, the arrest toughness is an important parameter and is actually required in several structural applications, e.g., shipbuilding, tankage, and power plants, where brittle cracking occurs. Currently, the Esso test is the most popular evaluation method for arrest toughness. In the Esso test, a notch located at the top of the specimen is forced open by impact energy. Generally, it is expected that the arrest toughness may be affected by impact. However, the effect of the impact has not been considered in the evaluation methods so far. Furthermore, the impact energy is selected arbitrarily and differs depending on the test organization. Considering the current situation, it is quite important to evaluate the effect of impact on the obtained results. In the present work, in order to clarify the effect of impact on the arrest toughness evaluation, changes in the driving force at the running crack tip are examined by finite element method (FEM) analyses including impact. In particular, the fundamental behavior of the specimen due to impact and the validation of FEM analysis are investigated.