From a leading expert in fracture mechanics, this text provides new approaches and new applications to advance the understanding of crack formation and propagation.

The First African InterQuadrennial ICF Conference “AIQ-ICF2008” on Damage and Fracture Mechanics – Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials and Structures”, Algiers, Algeria, June 1–5, 2008 is the first in the series of InterQuadrennial Conferences on Fracture to be held in the continent of Africa. During the conference, African researchers have shown that they merit a strong reputation in international circles and continue to make substantial contributions to the field of fracture mechanics. As in most countries, the research effort in Africa is und- taken at the industrial, academic, private sector and governmental levels, and covers the whole spectrum of fracture and fatigue. The AIQ-ICF2008 has brought together researchers and engineers to review and discuss advances in the development of methods and approaches on Damage and Fracture Mechanics. By bringing together the leading international experts in the field, AIQ-ICF promotes technology transfer and provides a forum for industry and researchers of the host nation to present their accomplishments and to develop new ideas at the highest level. International Conferences have an important role to play in the technology transfer process, especially in terms of the relationships to be established between the participants and the informal exchange of ideas that this ICF offers.

A Practical Approach to Fracture Mechanics provides a concise overview on the fundamental concepts of fracture mechanics, discussing linear elastic fracture mechanics, fracture toughness, ductile fracture, slow crack propagation, structural integrity, and more. The book outlines analytical and experimental methods for determining the fracture resistance of mechanical and structural components, also demonstrating the use of fracture mechanics in failure analysis, reinforcement of cracked structures, and remaining life estimation. The characteristics of crack propagation induced by fatigue, stress-corrosion, creep, and absorbed hydrogen are also discussed. The book concludes with a chapter on the structural integrity analysis of cracked components alongside a real integrity assessment. This book will be especially useful for students in mechanical, civil, industrial, metallurgical, aeronautical and chemical engineering, and for professional engineers looking for a refresher on core principles. - Concisely outlines the underlying fundamentals of fracture mechanics, making physical concepts clear and simple and providing easily-understood applied examples - Includes solved problems of the most common calculations, along with step-by-step procedures to perform widely-used methods in fracture mechanics - Demonstrates how to determine stress intensity factors and fracture toughness, estimate crack growth rate, calculate failure load, and other methods and techniques

An International Conference on the Application of Fracture Mechanics to Ma terials and Structures was held at the Hotel Kolpinghaus in Freiburg, West Ger many, June 20-24, 1983. It was attended by more than 250 participants from different countries which include Austria, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Republic of Germany, Denmark, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, People's Republic of China, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, USSR and Yugoslavia. Conference Co-Chairmen were Professor G. C. Sih, Lehigh University, Bethle hem, Pennsylvania, U. S. A. , Dr. E. Sommer, Fraunhofer-Institut fur Werkstoff mechanik, Freiburg, FRG and Professor W. Dahl, Rheinisch-Westfalische Technische Hochschule, Aachen, FRG. Dr. Wenrich, as the representative of the Land Baden-WUrttemberg, delivered the opening address with the remarks that International Conferences can serve the means to further enhance the technology development of a country. He empha sized that the Federal Republic of Germany is presently in need of strengthening the engineering manpower in order to keep her in a competitive position. The Conference was officially cast off with the leading plenary lectures that under lined the theme of the technical lectures for the first day. This pattern was observed for the five-day meeting. The interplay between material and design re quirements was the theme and emphasized in many of the technical presentations that amounted to approximately ninety (90) papers.

Recent advances in the field of fracture of engineering materials and structures have increasingly indicated its multidisciplinary nature. This area of research now involves scientists and engineers who work in materials science, applied mathematics and mechanics, and also computer scientists. The present volume, which contains the Proceedings of the Joint FEFG/lCF International Conference on Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures held in Singapore from the 6th to 8th of August 1991, is a testimony of this multidisciplinary nature. This International Conference was the Second Symposium of the Far East Fracture Group (FEFG) and thus provided a unique opportunity for researchers and engineers in the Far East region to exchange and acquire knowledge of new advances and applications in fracture. The Conference was also the Inter-Quadrennial International Conference on Fracture (ICF) for 1991 and thus appealed to researchers in the international arena who wished to take advantage of this meeting to present their findings. The Conference has brought together over 130 participants from more than 24 countries, and they represented government and industrial research laboratories as well as academic institutions. It has thus achieved its objective of bringing together scientists and engineers with different backgrounds and perspectives but with . a common interest in new developments in the fracture of engineering materials and structures. This volume contains 4 keynote papers, 4 invited papers and 130 contributed papers.

When asked to start teaching a course on engineering fracture mechanics, I realized that a concise textbook, giving a general oversight of the field, did not exist. The explanation is undoubtedly that the subject is still in a stage of early development, and that the methodologies have still a very limited applicability. It is not possible to give rules for general application of fracture mechanics concepts. Yet our comprehension of cracking and fracture beha viour of materials and structures is steadily increasing. Further developments may be expected in the not too distant future, enabling useful prediction of fracture safety and fracture characteristics on the basis of advanced fracture mechanics procedures. The user of such advanced procedures m\lst have a general understanding of the elementary concepts, which are provided by this volume. Emphasis was placed on the practical application of fracture mechanics, but it was aimed to treat the subject in a way that may interest both metallurgists and engineers. For the latter, some general knowledge of fracture mechanisms and fracture criteria is indispensable for an apprecia tion of the limita tions of fracture mechanics. Therefore a general discussion is provided on fracture mechanisms, fracture criteria, and other metal lurgical aspects, without going into much detail. Numerous references are provided to enable a more detailed study of these subjects which are still in a stage of speculative treatment.

FRACTURE MECHANICS OF CONCRETE AND ROCK This book offers engineers a unique opportunity to learn, frominternationally recognized leaders in their field, about the latesttheoretical advances in fracture mechanics in concrete, reinforcedconcrete structures, and rock. At the same time, it functions as asuperb, graduate-level introduction to fracture mechanics conceptsand analytical techniques. Reviews, in depth, the basic theory behind fracture mechanics * Covers the application of fracture mechanics to compressionfailure, creep, fatigue, torsion, and other advanced topics * Extremely well researched, applies experimental evidence ofdamage to a wide range of design cases * Supplies all relevant formulas for stress intensity * Covers state-of-the-art linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)techniques for analyzing deformations and cracking * Describes nonlinear fracture mechanics (NLFM) and the latestRILEM modeling techniques for testing nonlinear quasi-brittlematerials * And much more Over the past few years, researchers employing techniques borrowedfrom fracture mechanics have made many groundbreaking discoveriesconcerning the causes and effects of cracking, damage, andfractures of plain and reinforced concrete structures and rock.This, in turn, has resulted in the further development andrefinement of fracture mechanics concepts and tools. Yet, despitethe field's growth and the growing conviction that fracturemechanics is indispensable to an understanding of material andstructural failure, there continues to be a surprising shortage oftextbooks and professional references on the subject. Written by two of the foremost names in the field, FractureMechanics of Concrete fills that gap. The most comprehensive bookever written on the subject, it consolidates the latest theoreticalresearch from around the world in a single reference that can beused by students and professionals alike. Fracture Mechanics of Concrete is divided into two sections. In thefirst, the authors lay the necessary groundwork with an in-depthreview of fundamental principles. In the second section, theauthors vividly demonstrate how fracture mechanics has beensuccessfully applied to failures occurring in a wide array ofdesign cases. Key topics covered in these sections include: * State-of-the-art linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)techniques for analyzing deformations and cracking * Nonlinear fracture mechanics (NLFM) and the latest RILEM modelingtechniques for testing nonlinear quasi-brittle materials * The use of R-Curves to describe cracking and fracture inquasi-brittle materials * The application of fracture mechanics to compression failure,creep, fatigue, torsion, and other advanced topics The most timely, comprehensive, and authoritative book on thesubject currently available, Fracture Mechanics of Concrete is botha complete instructional tool for academics and students instructural and geotechnical engineering courses, and anindispensable working resource for practicing engineers.