This volume provides a comprehensive overview of fracture mechanics of conservative and dissipative materials, as well as a general formulation of nonlinear field theory of fracture mechanics and a rigorous treatment of dynamic crack problems involving coupled magnetic, electric, thermal and mechanical field quantities.

Fracture Mechanics of Electromagnetic Materials provides a comprehensive overview of fracture mechanics of conservative and dissipative materials, as well as a general formulation of nonlinear field theory of fracture mechanics and a rigorous treatment of dynamic crack problems involving coupled magnetic, electric, thermal and mechanical field quantities. Thorough emphasis is placed on the physical interpretation of fundamental concepts, development of theoretical models and exploration of their applications to fracture characterization in the presence of magneto-electro-thermo-mechanical coupling and dissipative effects. Mechanical, aeronautical, civil, biomedical, electrical and electronic engineers interested in application of the principles of fracture mechanics to design analysis and durability evaluation of smart structures and devices will find this book an invaluable resource.

This book provides a comprehensive study of cracks situated at the interface of two piezoelectric materials. It discusses different electric boundary conditions along the crack faces, in particular the cases of electrically permeable, impermeable, partially permeable, and conducting cracks. The book also elaborates on a new technique for the determination of electromechanical fields at the tips of interface cracks in finite sized piezoceramic bodies of arbitrary shape under different load types. It solves scientific problems of solid mechanics in connection with the investigation of electromechanical fields in piezoceramic bodies with interface cracks, and develops calculation models and solution methods for plane fracture mechanical problems for piecewise homogeneous piezoceramic bodies with cracks at the interfaces. It discusses the “open” crack model, which leads to a physically unrealistic oscillating singularity at the crack tips, and the contact zone model for in-plane straight interface cracks between two dissimilar piezoelectric materials. It also investigates the model of a crack with electro-mechanical pre-fracture zones. The formulated problems are reduced to problems of linear relationship, which correspond to different crack models, and their exact analytical solutions are found. The book presents in detail the expressions for stress and electric displacement intensity factors, as well as for the energy release rate. The influence of the electric permittivity of the crack, the mechanical load and the electric field upon the electro-elastic state, as well as the main fracture mechanical parameters, are analyzed and clearly illustrated. This book addresses postgraduate students, university teachers and researchers dealing with the problems of fracture mechanics of piezoelectric materials, as well as engineers who are active in the analysis of strength and durability of piezoelectric constructions.

In recent years, the science of electro-magneto-mechanics has developed rapidly because of its possible extensive practical applications in fields such as smart material systems and structures, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), bio-medical devices, superconducting devices, and magnetic fusion reactors. volume features a selection of papers presented at the Symposium on Electro-Magneto-Mechanics that formed part of the 14th US National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (USNCTAM 14). state-of-the-art fundamental research to applied research and applications in emerging technologies. They are divided under the following main headings: magnetoelasticity; piezoelectric fracture and damage mechanics; piezoelectric buckling, stability and vibration; and smart sensors and actuators.