Fracture Mechanics—Theory, Modeling and Applications

Journal Article · 10 August 2021 · Applied Sciences

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app11167371 · OSTI ID:1821383

Rougier, Esteban  ^[1]; Hunter, Abigail  ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The field of fracture mechanics was developed during the throes of World War II, and since then, it has been a very active area of research. This is a very energetic and vibrant field because fracture processes are relevant for a vast range of engineering applications spanning different temporal and length scales. Depending on the application, material fracture and fragmentation may be either a desirable feature (for example, for the purpose of hydraulic fracturing operations), or something that is to be avoided at all costs (for example, in key components of mechanical systems). In some other instances, fractures are already present and must be accommodated through novel design (for example, in the case of earthquake ruptures occurring in the Earth’s crust). Because of this wide spectra of motivation, there is a continuous need for the fracture mechanics research community to gain more insight on how fractures are created, evolve, and interact with themselves and with material microstructures. In addition, there are still many remaining questions about how fracture propagation, growth, and interaction impact overall material behavior, and how to develop accurate models to predict this behavior.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 1821383
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-21-27423
• Journal Information: Applied Sciences, Journal Name: Applied Sciences Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 11; ISSN 2076-3417
• Publisher: MDPICopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English