This paper deals with the effect of spatial distribution of material properties on its statistical characteristics and numerical estimation method of reliability of fatigue sensitive structures with respect to the fatigue crack growth. A method is proposed to determine experimentally the probability distribution functions of material parameters of Paris law. da/dN=C(ΔK/K sub(0) ) super(m), using stress intensity factor controlled fatigue tests. The result with a high tensile strength steel shows that the distribution of the parameter m is approximately normal and that of 1/C, is a 3-parameter Weibull. The main result obtained are : (1) The theoretical autocorrelation of the resistance, 1/C, to fatigue crack growth are almost same for different lengths. (2) The variance decreases with the increasing a averaging length. When spatial correlation length is very small. the variane decreases significantly were the averaging length. (3) The probability distribution of load cycles or the number for a crack to reach a certain length can be estimated using these functions by simulation of non-Gaussian(expecially Weibull) Stochastic Process.

• 김선진