Inthispaper,theeffectofplasticconstraintontheinitiationofductiletearsinfourdifferentshipbuildingstructuralsteelshasbeenexperimentallystudiedbymeasuringtheJ-integralandcrackopeningdisplacementCODatinitiationinthree-pointbendspecimenswithdeepandshallownotches.ExperimentalresultsofsevengroupsofdifferentstrengthalloysteelsshowthatbothδìandJìvaluesofductiletearfromtheshallowcrackspecimenswhichhavelessconstraintflowfieldaresignificantlyhigherthanthoseofdeeplynotchedspecimens.Slip-line-fieldanalysisshowsthat,forshallowcrack,thehydrostaticstressislowerthanthatfromstandarddeeplycrackedbendspecimen,whichdevelopsahighlevelofcracktipconstraint,providesalowerboundestimateoftoughness,andwillensureanundulyconservativeapproachwhenappliedtostructuraldefects,especiallyifinitiationvaluesofCODandJ-integralareused.
