This book is a monograph on the brittle fracture of ceramic materials, in a unified continuum, microstructural and atomistic treatment.

This book derives from the invited IUTAM Symposium in September 1993. The contributions discuss recent advances in fracture mechanics studies of concrete, rock, ceramics and other brittle disordered materials at micro and structural levels. It draws together research and new applications in continuum, damage and fracture mechanics approaches.

This book offers a collection of 17 scientific papers about the computational modeling of fracture. Some of the manuscripts propose new computational methods and/or how to improve existing cutting edge methods for fracture. These contributions can be classified into two categories: 1. Methods which treat the crack as strong discontinuity such as peridynamics, scaled boundary elements or specific versions of the smoothed finite element methods applied to fracture and 2. Continuous approaches to fracture based on, for instance, phase field models or continuum damage mechanics. On the other hand, the book also offers a wide range of applications where state-of-the-art techniques are employed to solve challenging engineering problems such as fractures in rock, glass, concrete. Also, larger systems such as fracture in subway stations due to fire, arch dams, or concrete decks are studied.

Understanding the Basics of Nanoindentation and Why It Is Important Contact damage induced brittle fracture is a common problem in the field of brittle solids. In the case of both glass and ceramics—and as it relates to both natural and artificial bio-materials—it has triggered the need for improved fabrication technology and new product development in the industry. The Nanoindentation Technique Is Especially Dedicated to Brittle Materials Nanoindentation of Brittle Solids highlights the science and technology of nanoindentation related to brittle materials, and considers the applicability of the nanoindentation technique. This book provides a thorough understanding of basic contact induced deformation mechanisms, damage initiation, and growth mechanisms. Starting from the basics of contact mechanics and nanoindentation, it considers contact mechanics, addresses contact issues in brittle solids, and explores the concepts of hardness and elastic modulus of a material. It examines a variety of brittle solids and deciphers the physics of deformation and fracture at scale lengths compatible with the microstructural unit block. Discusses nanoindentation data analysis methods and various nanoindentation techniques Includes nanoindentation results from the authors’ recent research on natural biomaterials like tooth, bone, and fish scale materials Considers the nanoindentation response if contact is made too quickly in glass Explores energy issues related to the nanoindentation of glass Describes the nanoindentation response of a coarse grain alumina Examines nanoindentation on microplasma sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings Nanoindentation of Brittle Solids provides a brief history of indentation, and explores the science and technology of nanoindentation related to brittle materials. It also offers an in-depth discussion of indentation size effect; the evolution of shear induced deformation during indentation and scratches, and includes a collection of related research works.

Many modern engineering structures are composed of brittle heterogenous, or quasibrittle, materials. These include concrete, composites, tough ceramics, rocks, cold asphalt mixtures, and many brittle materials at the microscale. Understanding the failure behavior of these materials is of paramount importance for improving the resilience and sustainability of various engineering structures including civil infrastructure, aircraft, ships, military armors, and microelectronic devices. Designed for graduate and upper-level undergraduate university courses, this textbook provides a comprehensive treatment of quasibrittle fracture mechanics. It includes a concise but rigorous examination of linear elastic fracture mechanics, which is the foundation of all fracture mechanics. It also covers the fundamental concepts of nonlinear fracture mechanics, and introduces more advanced concepts such as triaxial stress state in the fracture process zone, nonlocal continuum models, and discrete computational models. Finally, the book features extensive discussion of the various practical applications of quasibrittle fracture mechanics across different structures and engineering disciplines, and throughout includes exercises and problems for students to test their understanding.

Fracture Mechanics of Piezoelectric and Ferroelectric Solids presents a systematic and comprehensive coverage of the fracture mechanics of piezoelectric/ferroelectric materials, which includes the theoretical analysis, numerical computations and experimental observations. The main emphasis is placed on the mechanics description of various crack problems such static, dynamic and interface fractures as well as the physical explanations for the mechanism of electrically induced fracture. The book is intended for postgraduate students, researchers and engineers in the fields of solid mechanics, applied physics, material science and mechanical engineering. Dr. Daining Fang is a professor at the School of Aerospace, Tsinghua University, China; Dr. Jinxi Liu is a professor at the Department of Engineering Mechanics, Shijiazhuang Railway Institute, China.

Written by a leading researcher in the field, this revised and updated second edition of a highly successful book provides an authoritative, comprehensive and unified treatment of the mechanics and micromechanisms of fatigue in metals, non-metals and composites. The author discusses the principles of cyclic deformation, crack initiation and crack growth by fatigue, covering both microscopic and continuum aspects. The book begins with discussions of cyclic deformation and fatigue crack initiation in monocrystalline and polycrystalline ductile alloys as well as in brittle and semi-/non-crystalline solids. Total life and damage-tolerant approaches are then introduced in metals, non-metals and composites followed by more advanced topics. The book includes an extensive bibliography and a problem set for each chapter, together with worked-out example problems and case studies. This will be an important reference for anyone studying fracture and fatigue in materials science and engineering, mechanical, civil, nuclear and aerospace engineering, and biomechanics.