Low-Temperature Fracture Toughness Estimates for Very High Strength Steels

The lack of design rules limits the application of Very High Strength Steels (VHSS). One critical point limiting their use lies in their poorly documented low-temperature fracture properties in relation to more conventional steels. The two major concepts governing the assessment of steel construction codes are the Master Curve (MC) methodology and the T0 - TCV28J transition temperature correlation. Focusing on novel, directly quenched, high-performance steels, we investigated the applicability of the Master Curve methodology with special emphasis on the low-temperature region and checked the validity of the standard T0 -TCV28J transition temperature correlation. Improvements to the criteria are proposed for further consideration.