Fracture Mechanics Parts 1 and 2 - Open University Course Team

Practical Fracture Mechanics and FatigueThis book introduces you to the application of the theory of fracture mechanics to engineering parts, primarily made from metals, that contain cracks or flaws. Different industrial sectors are covered, from nuclear reactors to aeroplanes, where the theories are applied in different ways according to the types of structure and the way that they are used. The practical aspects of applying theories concerned with the behaviour of cracked bodies is addressed, and an appreciation of the underlying fundamentals that informs theories is provided.Part 2 looks in detail at the phenomenon of fatigue, where cracks can initiate and then grow in a material even in the absence of an obvious initial flaw. The consideration of fatigue loading is a crucial part of the design process, as the progression from a pristine component to a broken one can be surprisingly rapid under certain loading conditions.Due to copyright restrictions the DVD refered to in this book is not available. However the K and Fatigue Calculators required to complete the activites are available on the CD-ROM (order code T357/CDR01).