5. Conclusion

Fracture mechanics has become an essential element in industrial design processes. The calculation of residual life due to crack propagation makes it possible to define inspection plans for parts incorporating defects linked to the manufacturing process, the material itself, the handling carried out during assembly, and the loads or events experienced during the life cycle of a mechanical structure. Linear fracture mechanics can be used to address most of the problems encountered, and more complex modeling and numerical simulations can be used to take more realistic account of the physics involved (plasticity, multiaxiality, multiphysics couplings).