Damage assessment using fracture mechanics and NDT approaches

Assessment of damage in materials and structures can be carried out by applying elements of both fracture mechanics and nondestructive testing. This is particularly important for determining the remaining life of structures subjected to cyclic or fatigue loading. In fatigue, the relationship defining the rate of crack growth dA / dN is given by the Paris law as dA / dN = a(ΔK)^b where A is the crack length, N is the number of cycles, a is a …