PRINCIPLES OF FRACTURE MECHANICS

Intended for a first course in the mechanics of fracture at the graduate level (or senior undergraduates with a background in engineering mechanics) the focus of the book is on the mathematical principles of linear elastic fracture mechanics and their application to engineering design. The material is presented in a conversational, yet rigorous, manner with the focus on the general formulation of the theory. In this way the origins and limitations of the simplified results presented in other introductory texts is apparent. The selection of topics and order of presentation in the book evolved from a graduate course in fracture mechanics developed by the author over the last two decades.