Fracture Mechanics

Fracture Mechanics

Fracture mechanics is a vast and growing field. This book develops the basic elements needed for both fracture research and engineering practice. The emphasis is on continuum mechanics models for energy flows and crack-tip stress- and deformation fields in elastic and elastic-plastic materials. In addition to a brief discussion of computational fracture methods, the text includes practical sections on fracture criteria, fracture toughness testing, and methods for measuring stress intensity factors and energy release rates. Class-tested at Cornell, this book is designed for students, researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and contributing to a diverse and vital field of knowledge.

Fracture Mechanics

Fracture mechanics studies the development and spreading of cracks in materials. The study uses two techniques including analytical and experimental solid mechanics. The former is used to determine the driving force on a crack and the latter is used to measure material's resistance to fracture. The text begins with a detailed discussion of fundamental concepts including linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), yielding fracture mechanics, mixed mode fracture and computational aspects of linear elastic fracture mechanics. It explains important topics including Griffith theory of brittle crack propagation and its Irwin and Orowan modification, calculation of theoretical cohesive strength of materials through an atomic model and analytical determination of crack tip stress field. This book covers MATLAB programs for calculating fatigue life under variable amplitude cyclic loading. The experimental measurements of fracture toughness parameters KIC, JIC and crack opening displacement (COD) are provided in the last chapter.

Fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics