Introduction

Abstract

The consequences of fracture can be minor or they can be costly, deadly or both. Fracture mechanics poses and finds answers to questions related to designing components and processes against fracture. The driving forces in fracture mechanics are the loads at the crack tip, expressed in terms of the stress intensity factor and the energy available to the crack tip. The resistance of the material to fracture is expressed in terms of fracture toughness. Criteria for fracture can be stated as a balance of the crack tip loads and the material’s fracture resistance, or “toughness.”.