Intergranular cracking of aluminum alloys occurs by a variety of proce
sses in a host of structural components. Cracks emanate from holes and
corners of support structures and heterogeneously spread along grain
boundaries. In the present study, cracked specimens were investigated
using local orientation measurement techniques. True representation of
grain boundaries in spaces of five or eight dimensions was emphasized
in characterizing the microstructure. Orientation of the grain bounda
ry plane with respect to the stress axis and with respect to the cryst
al lattice was found to play an important role in determining GB ''spe
cialness'' in addition to misorientation of the crystallite lattices.