LAUSR

A three dimensional simulation of short fatigue crack propagation in a polycrystalline microstructure using a crystal plasticity finite element model is carried out. The experimental microstructure which contains several hundreds grains, was obtained via diffraction contrast tomography. A step-by-step short fatigue crack growth model based on capturing the plastic activity at the crack tip is used. Technical details are given and discussed in light of the compromise needed to perform such demanding calculations. The crack propagates through several grains and depicts some of the characteristic short crack features observed experimentally in the literature.