Abstract: The crack tip strain gauge method in the compliance technique was used to determine the opening load of notched crack of axle steel,and the nonlinear finite element ADINA program, to which the cyclic stress-strain curve of axle steel was applied,was used to analyze the stress-strain field ahead of the crack tip and the opening load of notched crack.The results of both the compliance technique and the numerical method were in good agreement.In this pa- per,the concept of the sensitive point is proposed and the key to the determination of the crack opening load in the experiment is to place a strain gauge at sensitive point.It is certified by both experimental and numerical methods that the sensitive point has the best linear relation- ship character and the value of strain is much greater.

Key words: crack closure effect, compliance technique, numerical method, axle steel