Quantification of the influence of vertex singularities on fatigue crack behavior

The effect of vertex singularity on fatigue crack behavior is presented in the article. The methodology based on generalized stress intensity factor and model of V-notch is used for reliable estimation of the fatigue crack growth rate in the area close to the free surface, where the effect of the vertex singularity is dominant. It is shown that decrease of the crack singularity exponent close to the vertex point leads to a decrease in the fatigue crack growth rate and contributes to a typical curved crack front observed experimentally for through crack.