Defect Assessment in Components

Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics has reached a high degree of maturity. Due to its complexity, however, it has become difficult to maintain a reasonable overview of the state of the art. The European Group on Fracture (now the European Structural Integrity Society), in conjunction with the German Association for Materials Testing, therefore, organized a symposium on the possible contributions of elastic - plastic fracture mechanics to the assessment of crack-like defects in structural components, the aim being to concentrate on the structural application aspects and to demonstrate the practical benefits elastic - plastic fracture mechanics may provide.