Usable Fracture Mechanics
If a small crack forms in an airplane wing and causes the wing to fall off in flight before the crack was even detected, that would be a disaster. It would also mean the wing material fracture toughness was not properly understood. On the other hand, if the same crack grew and grew until someone saw it and replaced the part, that would mean the material fracture toughness was properly applied. This talk is intended to introduce that whole concept in a little more detail. Emphasis will be placed on the basic concepts, issues related to testing, and how fracture mechanics is applied in a simplified, easy-to-understand format.
