7. Preventing sudden-break damage

7.1 Brittle fracture and ductile tear

The prevention of the risk of sudden failure includes the prevention of the risk of brittle failure, as well as the risk of ductile tearing.

Previous damage prevention rules assumed a structure free of postulated hypothetical defects. Sudden failure analyses have the particularity of assuming the existence of a defect, and aim to define a design (including the choice of materials) that is tolerant to defects in the event that, despite the precautions taken, such defects exist in the structure or are created in service as a result of the operating conditions imposed.

The risk of sudden rupture depends on :

• material toughness;

• ...