This book discusses the basic principles and traditional applications of fracture mechanics, as well as the cutting-edge research in the field over the last three decades in current topics like composites, thin films, nanoindentation, and cementitious materials.

Experimental methods play a major role in the study of fracture mechanics problems and are used for the determination of the major fracture mechanics quantities such as stress intensity factors, crack tip opening displacements, strain energy release rates, crack paths, crack velocities in static and dynamic problems. These methods include electrical resistance strain gauges, photoelasticity, interferometry techniques, geometric and interferometry moiré, and the optical method of caustics.

Furthermore, numerical methods are often used for the determination of fracture mechanics parameters. They include finite and boundary element methods, Green's function and weight functions, boundary collocation, alternating methods, and integral transforms continuous dislocations.
This third edition of the book covers the basic principles and traditional applications, as well as the latest developments of fracture mechanics. Featuring two new chapters and 30 more example problems, it presents a comprehensive overview of fracture mechanics, and includes numerous examples and unsolved problems. This book is suitable for teaching fracture mechanics courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. A solutions manual is available for course instructors upon request.

Serves as a comprehensive textbook on fracture mechanics Presents the state of the art in the field Accompanied by a solutions manual

Autorentext
Emmanuel Gdoutos is Full Member of the Academy of Athens in the chair of Theoretical and Experimental Mechanics (2016). He is member of many academies worldwide, fellow of scientific societies and received numerous awards. His book "Fracture Mechanics - An Introduction, 3rd edition" published by Springer accompanied by a solutions manual is used as a textbook by many universities worldwide. His book "Matrix Theory of Photoelasticity" published by Springer-Verlag presents a novel and unified interpretation of the problems of photoelastic stress analysis using the modern methods of description of polarized light. He is the book series editor of the Springer series "Springerbriefs in Structural Mechanics". His research interest include problems of the theory of elasticity, fracture mechanics, experimental mechanics (with emphasis in the optical methods), mechanics of composite materials, sandwich structures and nanotechnology (composite nanomaterials).

Inhalt
Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Linear Elastic Stress Field in Cracked Bodies.- Chapter 3. Elastic-Plastic Stress Field in Cracked Bodies.- Chapter 4. Crack Growth Based on Energy Balance.- Chapter 5. Critical Stress Intensity Factor Fracture Criterion.- Chapter 6. J-Integral and Crack Opening Displacement Fracture Criteria.- Chapter 7. Strain Energy Density Failure Criterion: Mixed-Mode Crack Growth.- Chapter 8. Dynamic Fracture.- Chapter 9. Fatigue and Environment-Assisted Fracture.- Chapter 10. Micromechanics of Fracture.- Chapter 11. Composite Materials.- Chapter 12. Thin Films.- Chapter 13. Nanoindentation.- Chapter 14. Cementitious Materials.- Chapter 15. Experimental Methods.- Chapter 16. Numerical Methods.