Strength and survivability analysis in engineering safety for structures damaged by cracks

Fracture mechanics approaches are employed for the analysis of engineering safety and survivability, the substantiation of allowable states of strongl y damaged structures by means of the use of safety factors and the consider ation of emergent cracks propagating from a safe region to catastrophic fai lure. Safety factors are included in the unified equations of fracture mech anics and fatigue. Some methods for the calculation of safety factors withi n the framework of various criteria approaches of fracture mechanics are co nsidered. The connection between different safety factors and the region of allowable (safe) rates of fatigue crack growth is discussed. (C) 1999 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.