Structural Integrity Considerations In Engineering Design: Introduction to Structural Integrity and Basic Fatigue Design

This book deals with the concepts of structural integrity from safe life to damage tolerance to holistic structural integrity processes, which are all part of a reliability-centered closed loop design approach. Volume 1 introduces the concepts of structural integrity and the basics of fatigue design, including the development of safe life fatigue design concepts based on traditional continuum mechanics. An extensive discussion of discontinuities is presented to illustrate their importance to all deformation mechanisms and especially the mechanisms of fatigue. The historical aspects of fatigue design are also introduced with emphasis on the stress-life and strain-life approaches, along with the many factors that affect fatigue life of structures and their utilization in society. Latter chapters of the book briefly discuss the extraneous effects on fatigue such as corrosion, fretting, wear, creep, and accidental damage. These will be dealt with in more detail in latter volumes. Finally, the book gives many examples of fatigue failures that have occurred in history and cites ways these could have been prevented and the lessons learned from such fatigue failures.