A Practical Approach to Fracture Mechanics

A Practical Approach to Fracture Mechanics provides a concise overview on the fundamental concepts of fracture mechanics, discussing linear elastic fracture mechanics, fracture toughness, ductile fracture, slow crack propagation, structural integrity, and more. The book outlines analytical and experimental methods for determining the fracture resistance of mechanical and structural components, also demonstrating the use of fracture mechanics in failure analysis, reinforcement of cracked structures, and remaining life estimation. The characteristics of crack propagation induced by fatigue, stress-corrosion, creep, and absorbed hydrogen are also discussed. The book concludes with a chapter on the structural integrity analysis of cracked components alongside a real integrity assessment.

This book will be especially useful for students in mechanical, civil, industrial, metallurgical, aeronautical and chemical engineering, and for professional engineers looking for a refresher on core principles.

• Concisely outlines the underlying fundamentals of fracture mechanics, making physical concepts clear and simple and providing easily-understood applied examples
• Includes solved problems of the most common calculations, along with step-by-step procedures to perform widely-used methods in fracture mechanics
• Demonstrates how to determine stress intensity factors and fracture toughness, estimate crack growth rate, calculate failure load, and other methods and techniques

Upper undergrad and grad students in mechanical, civil, industrial, metallurgical, aeronautical, and chemical engineering; professional engineers in these same areas looking for a refresh on core principles; failure analysts. Academic researchers

1. General Concepts of Mechanical Behavior and Fracture
1.1. Fracture Mechanics Field of Application
1.2. Definition of Stress and Strain
1.3. Mechanical Behavior Under Tension
1.4. The Stress Tensor
1.5. The Mohr's Circle
1.6. Yield Criteria
1.7. Stress Concentration
1.8. Definitions and Basic Concepts of Fracture
1.9. Objective and Field of Application of Fracture Mechanics

2. Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics
2.1. Cohesive Strength
2.2. The Griffith Criterion
2.3. The Stress Intensity Factor (Irwin's Analysis)
2.4. Known Solutions of the Stress Intensity Factor
2.5. Expermiental Determination of the Stress Intensity Factor
2.6. Experimental Determination of the Stress Intensity Factor by the Finite Element Method
2.7. The Plastic Zone
2.8. The Crack Tip Opening Displacement

3. The Energy Criterion and Fracture Toughness
3.1. The Energy Criterion
3.2. The R-Curve
3.3. Plane Strain Fracture Toughness
3.4. Plane Strain Fracture Toughness Testing (KIC)
3.5. Effect of the Size on Fracture Toughness
3.6. Charpy Impact Energy Fracture Toughness Correlations
3.7. Dynamic Fracture and Crack Arrest

4. Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics
4.1. Elastoplastic Fracture and the J Integral
4.2. JIC Testing
4.3. Use of the J Integral as a Fracture Parameter
4.4. The Crack Tip Opening Displacement as Fracture Parameter
4.5. The Two-Parameter Criterion

5. Fracture Resistance of Engineering Materials
5.1. Remaining Strength
5.2. Materials Selection for Fracture Resistance
5.3. Material Properties Charts
5.4. Failure Analysis Using Fracture Mechanics
5.5. Reinforcement of Cracked Structures
5.6. The Leak-Before-Break Condition

6.  Fatigue and Environmentally Assisted Crack Propagation
6.1. Fatigue Crack Growth and the Paris' Law
6.2. Effect of the Load Ratio on Fatigue Crack Growth Rate
6.3. Fatigue Crack Closure
6.4. The Effect of Environment on the Fatigue Crack Growth
6.5. Effect of Variable Loads on Fatigue Crack Growth
6.6. Effect of a Single Overload on Fatigue Crack Growth
6.7. Fatigue Cracks Emanating from Notches
6.8. Stress-Corrosion Cracking
6.9. Creep Crack Growth
6.10. Crack Growth by Absorbed Hydrogen

7. Structural Integrity
7.1. In-Service Damage of Structural Components
7.2. General Aspects of Structural Integrity
7.3. Remaining Life of Cracked Components
7.4. A Methodology for the Estimation of Remaining Life
7.5. Structural Integrity Assessment Procedure
7.6. Example of a Structural Integrity Assessment