The need for a comprehensive book on probabilistic structural mechanics that brings together the many analytical and computational methods developed over the years and their applications in a wide spectrum of industries-from residential buildings to nuclear power plants, from bridges to pressure vessels, from steel structures to ceramic structures-became evident from the many discussions the editor had with practising engineers, researchers and professors. Because no single individual has the expertise to write a book with such a di.verse scope, a group of 39 authors from universities, research laboratories, and industries from six countries in three continents was invited to write 30 chapters covering the various aspects of probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor and the authors believe that this handbook will serve as a reference text to practicing engineers, teachers, students and researchers. It may also be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses in probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor wishes to thank the chapter authors for their contributions. This handbook would not have been a reality without their collaboration.

Intended for engineers, researchers, and graduate students dealing with materials science, structural design, and nondestructive testing and evaluation, this book represents a continuation of the author's "Fracture Mechanics" (1997). It will appeal to a variety of audiences: The discussion of design codes and procedures will be of use to practicing engineers, particularly in the nuclear, aerospace, and pipeline industries; the extensive bibliography and discussion of recent results will make it a useful reference for academic researchers; and graduate students will find the clear explanations and worked examples useful for learning the field. The book begins with a general treatment of fracture mechanics in terms of material properties and loading and provides up-to-date reviews of the ductile-brittle transition in steels and of methods for analyzing the risk of fracture. It then discusses the dynamics of fracture and creep in homogeneous and isotropic media, including discussions of high-loading-rate characteristics, the behavior of stationary cracks in elastic media under stress, and the propagation of cracks in elastic media. This is followed by an analysis of creep and crack initiation and propagation, describing, for example, the morphology and incubation times of crack initiation and growth and the effects of high temperatures. The book concludes with treatments of cycling deformation and fatigue, creep-fatigue fractures, and crack initiation and propagation. Problems at the end of each chapter serve to reinforce and test the student's knowledge and to extend some of the discussions in the text. Solutions to half of the problems are provided.