MTE3505

Fracture and fracture mechanics

4 points
* 2 lectures per week plus tutorials
* Second semester
* Clayton
* Prerequisites: MTE2514

Objectives To lead the student to an understanding of fracture at a continuum and micromechanical level and to develop the student's ability to apply this understanding in relation to the design of engineering structures.

Synopsis Micromechanics of brittle and ductile fracture. Void and crack nucleation and growth. Stress intensity factor. Thermodynamic approach to failure. Crack tip plasticity. Plane stress/plane strain. Fracture toughness testing in practice: thickness effects, test-piece geometry, testing procedures; impact testing. Statistical fracture mechanics. Notch strengthening. Energy absorption in materials. Design of structures using fracture toughness. Fractography. Deformation maps. Creep failure.

Assessment Practicals: 15%
* Tutorials and case studies: 65%
* Assignment: 20%

Recommended texts

Broek D Elementary engineering fracture mechanics 3rd edn, Nijhoff, 1982
Broek D The practical use of fracture mechanics Kluwer, 1988
Hertzberg R W Deformation and fracture mechanics of engineering materials 4th edn, Wiley, 1996
Jones D R H Engineering materials vol. 3, Pergamon, 1993
Kelly A G and Macmillan N H Strong solids OUP, 1986
Knott J F Fundamentals of fracture mechanics Butterworths, 1973
Lawn B R Fracture of brittle solids 2nd edn, CUP, 1993