SPIE Milestones are collections of seminal papers from the world literature covering important discoveries and developments in optics and photonics.

Discusses applications of failures and evaluation techniques to a variety of industries. * Presents a unified approach using two key elements of structural design.

SPIE Milestones are collections of seminal papers from the world literature covering important discoveries and developments in optics and photonics.

Introduction to Fracture Mechanics presents an introduction to the origins, formulation and application of fracture mechanics for the design, safe operation and life prediction in structural materials and components. The book introduces and informs the reader on how fracture mechanics works and how it is so different from other forms of analysis that are used to characterize mechanical properties. Chapters cover foundational topics and the use of linear-elastic fracture mechanics, involving both K-based characterizing parameter and G-based energy approaches, and how to characterize the fracture toughness of materials under plane-strain and non plane-strain conditions using the notion of crack-resistance or R-curves. Other sections cover far more complex nonlinear-elastic fracture mechanics based on the use of the J-integral and the crack-tip opening displacement. These topics largely involve continuum mechanics descriptions of crack initiation, slow crack growth, eventual instability by overload fracture, and subcritical cracking. Presents how, for a given material, a fracture toughness value can be measured on a small laboratory sample and then used directly to predict the failure (by fracture, fatigue, creep, etc.) of a much larger structure in service Covers the rudiments of fracture mechanics from the perspective of the philosophy underlying the few principles and the many assumptions that form the basis of the discipline Provides readers with a "working knowledge" of fracture mechanics, describing its potency for damage-tolerant design, for preventing failures through appropriate life-prediction strategies, and for quantitative failure analysis (fracture diagnostics)

Fatigue of structures and materials covers a wide scope of different topics. The purpose of the present book is to explain these topics, to indicate how they can be analyzed, and how this can contribute to the designing of fatigue resistant structures and to prevent structural fatigue problems in service. Chapter 1 gives a general survey of the topic with brief comments on the signi?cance of the aspects involved. This serves as a kind of a program for the following chapters. The central issues in this book are predictions of fatigue properties and designing against fatigue. These objectives cannot be realized without a physical and mechanical understanding of all relevant conditions. In Chapter 2 the book starts with basic concepts of what happens in the material of a structure under cyclic loads. It illustrates the large number of variables which can affect fatigue properties and it provides the essential background knowledge for subsequent chapters. Different subjects are presented in the following main parts: • Basic chapters on fatigue properties and predictions (Chapters 2–8) • Load spectra and fatigue under variable-amplitude loading (Chapters 9–11) • Fatigue tests and scatter (Chapters 12 and 13) • Special fatigue conditions (Chapters 14–17) • Fatigue of joints and structures (Chapters 18–20) • Fiber-metal laminates (Chapter 21) Each chapter presents a discussion of a speci?c subject.