eprintid: 1982 rev_number: 6 eprint_status: archive userid: 56 dir: disk0/00/00/19/82 datestamp: 2013-12-02 10:29:18 lastmod: 2014-10-09 09:20:24 status_changed: 2013-12-02 10:29:18 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Carpinteri, Alberto creators_name: Paggi, Marco creators_id: creators_id: marco.paggi@imtlucca.it title: A unified fractal approach for the interpretation of the anomalous scaling laws in fatigue and comparison with existing models ispublished: pub subjects: TJ divisions: CSA full_text_status: none keywords: Fatigue crack growth; Short cracks; Fatigue threshold; Fractals; Scaling laws; 74A45 abstract: In this paper, a critical reexamination of the fractal models for the analysis of crack-size effects in fatigue is proposed. The enhanced ability to detect and measure very short cracks has in fact pointed out the so-called anomalous behavior of short cracks with respect to their longer counterparts. The crack-size dependencies of both the fatigue threshold and the Paris’ constant C are only two notable examples of these anomalous scaling laws. In this context, a unified theoretical model seems to be missing and the behavior of short cracks can still be considered as an open problem. A new generalized theory based on fractal geometry is herein proposed, which permits to consistently interpret the short crack-related anomalous scaling laws within a unified theoretical framework. The proposed model is used to interpret relevant experimental data related to the crack-size dependence of the fatigue threshold in metals. As a main result, the model gives an explanation to the experimentally observed variability in the slope of the asymptote of the scaling law for the fatigue threshold in the short crack regime. date: 2010 date_type: published publication: International Journal of Fracture volume: 161 number: 1 publisher: Springer-Verlag pagerange: 41-52 id_number: 10.1007/s10704-009-9425-5 refereed: TRUE issn: 1573-2673 official_url: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10704-009-9425-5 citation: Carpinteri, Alberto and Paggi, Marco A unified fractal approach for the interpretation of the anomalous scaling laws in fatigue and comparison with existing models. International Journal of Fracture, 161 (1). pp. 41-52. ISSN 1573-2673 (2010)