Fracture mechanics has been applied to great effect in some high technology industries but to a much lesser extent in general engineering. This is in part due to the continual stream of complex research papers which concentrate on extending frontiers of knowledge, and do not give a perspective view of the potential applications of the subject to design. The general principles of fracture mechanics can be applied to the prevention of failure in a wide range of engineering situations, however, without a detailed knowledge of the mathematical background.
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