Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics

A ‘fracture mechanics’ approach to predicting failure essentially boils down to a very simple concept: one calculates a parameter that characterizes the distribution of stresses and strains near the crack tip, and assumes that the crack will extend when this parameter reaches a critical value that depends only on the material or interface properties at hand. As one might expect, the calculated parameter will depend on the geometry of the component, the geometry of the crack, any external loads (be they mechanical or imposed temperature fields) and the constitutive law of the material (i.e., its modulus, Poisson's ratio etc.)