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.

This book is about the use of fracture mechanics for the solution of practical problems; academic rigor is not at issue and dealt with only in as far as it improves insight and understanding; it often concerns secondary errors in engineering. Knowledge of (ignorance of) such basic input as loads and stresses in practical cases may cause errors far overshadowing those introduced by shortcomings of fracture mechanics and necessary approximations; this is amply demonstrated in the text. I have presented more than three dozen 40-hour courses on fracture mechanics and damage tolerance analysis, so that I have probably more experience in teaching the subject than anyone else. I learned more than the students, and became cognizant of difficulties and of the real concerns in applications. In particular I found, how a subject should be explained to appeal to the practicing engineer to demonstrate that his practical problem can indeed be solved with engineering methods. This experience is reflected in the presenta tions in this book. Sufficient background is provided for an understanding of the issues, but pragamatism prevails. Mathematics cannot be avoided, but they are presented in a way that appeals to insight and intuition, in lieu of formal derivations which would show but the mathematical skill of the writer.

Theoretical treatments of fracture mechanics abound in the literature. Among the first books to address this vital topic from an applied standpoint was the first edition of Practical Fracture Mechanics in Design. Completely updated and expanded to reflect recent developments in the field, the second edition of this valuable reference concisely revi

Almost all books available on fracture mechanics cover the majority of topics presented in this book, and often much, much more. While great as references, this makes teaching from them more difficult because the materials are not typically presented in the order that most professors cover them in their lectures and more than half the information p

Engineering Solid Mechanics bridges the gap between elementary approaches to strength of materials and more advanced, specialized versions on the subject. The book provides a basic understanding of the fundamentals of elasticity and plasticity, applies these fundamentals to solve analytically a spectrum of engineering problems, and introduces advanced topics of mechanics of materials - including fracture mechanics, creep, superplasticity, fiber reinforced composites, powder compacts, and porous solids. Text includes: stress and strain, equilibrium, and compatibility elastic stress-strain relations the elastic problem and the stress function approach to solving plane elastic problems applications of the stress function solution in Cartesian and polar coordinates Problems of elastic rods, plates, and shells through formulating a strain compatibility function as well as applying energy methods Elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics Plastic and creep deformation Inelastic deformation and its applications This book presents the material in an instructive manner, suitable for individual self-study. It emphasizes analytical treatment of the subject, which is essential for handling modern numerical methods as well as assessing and creating software packages. The authors provide generous explanations, systematic derivations, and detailed discussions, supplemented by a vast variety of problems and solved examples. Primarily written for professionals and students in mechanical engineering, Engineering Solid Mechanics also serves persons in other fields of engineering, such as aerospace, civil, and material engineering.

Reviews and describes both the fundamental and practical design procedures for the ultimate limit state design of ductile steel plated structures The new edition of this well-established reference reviews and describes both fundamentals and practical design procedures for steel plated structures. The derivation of the basic mathematical expressions is presented together with a thorough discussion of the assumptions and the validity of the underlying expressions and solution methods. Furthermore, this book is also an easily accessed design tool, which facilitates learning by applying the concepts of the limit states for practice using a set of computer programs, which can be downloaded. Ultimate Limit State Design of Steel Plated Structures provides expert guidance on mechanical model test results as well as nonlinear finite element solutions, sophisticated design methodologies useful for practitioners in industries or research institutions, and selected methods for accurate and efficient analyses of nonlinear behavior of steel plated structures both up to and after the ultimate strength is reached. Covers recent advances and developments in the field Includes new topics on constitutive equations of steels, test database associated with low/elevated temperature, and strain rates Includes a new chapter on a semi-analytical method Supported by a companion website with illustrative example data sheets Provides results for existing mechanical model tests Offers a thorough discussion of assumptions and the validity of underlying expressions and solution methods Designed as both a textbook and a handy reference, Ultimate Limit State Design of Steel Plated Structures, Second Edition is well suited to teachers and university students who are approaching the limit state design technology of steel plated structures for the first time. It also meets the needs of structural designers or researchers who are involved in civil, marine, and mechanical engineering as well as offshore engineering and naval architecture.