To ensure the reliability and durability of structural elements, modern approaches require data characterizing the local stress-strain state of the material in risk zones. In order to predict the fracture resistance of structural elements, a theoretical-experimental method based on the damage accumulation model using the energy approach is proposed. One of the unique characteristics of the proposed approach is that it uses local parameters of the stress-strain state, which are determined using a highly accurate and easy-to-use noncontact method of optical–digital image correlation (ODIC). This can be used both in laboratory conditions and for structural elements under real operating conditions. The proposed method of plotting stress–strain curves makes it possible to determine the true stresses near the concentrators in structural elements under a complex load. Using these diagrams in calculations and the finite element method (FEM), a study of local strain not only of the surface, but also of the internal volumes of the material was carried out. The damage parameter is introduced as the ratio of the elastoplastic strain energy of the local volume to its critical value. It is confirmed that the damage of the sample material starts from its centre. It was established that the damage parameter in the centre of the sample is 25–35% higher than its value on the surface of the sample.

In the paper, experimental studies of the hydrogen and pre-strained effect on fracture resistance of steam generator steel 22K were carried out. Special cylindrical samples were loaded up to fracture under a uniaxial tensile test with different pre-strained degrees and hydrogen charged times of the material. Stress-strain curves «S_i–e_i» were plotted. The true strain «e_i» in the local volume was determined using the method of optical-digital image correlation (ODIC). The results showed that the hydrogen influence is practically absent in the elastic area of strain. The fracture energy of steel 22K decreases under the hydrogen influence and pre-strain in all investigated cases. It is shown that during six months of air exposure, with the 0% pre-strained samples release almost all hydrogen. In pre-strained samples, the hydrogen concentration decreased by 1–3% compared to the initial values. This indicates that they have trapped hydrogen that cannot escape on its own. Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) indexes for 0% pre-strained samples at different levels of hydrogen-charging calculated by the strain and energy approaches are equal to each other. There is a difference in the values of the HE index depending on the hydrogen-charge time for pre-strained samples. This indicates that both strain and strength characteristics of the material, which are integrally taken into account in the energy approach, are sensitive to HE.