Control volumes and strain energy density under small and large scale yielding due to tension and torsion loading

In the recent literature some researchers proposed the use of the mean value of the Strain Energy Density (SED) over a well-defined control volume for static and fatigue strength assessment of components weakened by sharp V-shaped notches. In those papers the SED was expressed in terms of Notch Stress Intensity Factors (NSIFs), whose accurate evaluation needs a very fine mesh when based on local stress determined along the notch bisector. This contribution shows that when the material behaviour is ideally linear elastic or obeys a power hardening law, the mean value of the SED over the control volume can also be precisely determined from a coarse mesh. This result is of interest in the practical application of the SED approach to real components. Eventually, NSIFs can be evaluated a posteriori, just on the basis of the local SED. While discussing some results from elastic-plastic analyses carried out on a V-notched plate under tension loading and on a V-notched round bar under torsion, the different roles played by local and large scale yielding are highlighted. The result is used here to provide a justification for the different slopes, 3.0 and 5.0, reported by Eurocode 3 and other Standards in force for welded details subjected to tensile or shear stresses, respectively. © 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.