Fracture Mechanics Investigation of Structures with Defects

Don't forget those scholars who make great contributions to the fracture mechanics and the structural engineering. Alan Arnold Griffith (13 June 1893 – 13 Oct 1963)was an English engineer who among many other contributions is best known for his work on stress and fracture in metals that is now known as metal fatigue as well as being one of the first to develop a strong theoretical basis for the jet engine. George Rankine Irwin (26 Feb 1907 – 9 Oct 1998)was an American scientist in the field of fracture mechanics and strength of materials. He first identified the linear elastic stress intensity as a quantitative measure of the associated mathe-matical singularity and then laid the foundation of a relevant stress analysis system. James Robert Rice (3 Dec 1940)is a mechanician who has made fundamental contributions to various aspects of solid mechanics. Two of his early contributions are the concept of the J-integral and an explanation of how plastic deformations localize in a narrow band.