Fatigue crack propagation in a quasi one-dimensional elasto-plastic model

Fatigue crack advance induced by the application of cyclic quasistatic loads is investigated both numerically and analytically using a lattice spring model. The system has a quasi-one-dimensional geometry, and consists in two symmetrical chains that are pulled apart, thus breaking springs which connect them, and producing the advance of a crack. Quasistatic crack advance occurs as a consequence of the plasticity included in the springs which form the chains, and that implies a history dependent stress-strain curve for each spring. The continuous limit of the model allows a detailed analytical treatment that gives physical insight of the propagation mechanism. This simple model captures key features that cause well known phenomenology in fatigue crack propagation, in particular a Paris-like law of crack advance under cyclic loading, and the overload retardation effect.