10.  Fracture mechanics

10.1  Fault propagation

Another approach to analyzing the fatigue behavior of construction details – is being considered "timidly" by the NF EN 1993-1-10 – is to make use of the rules of fracture mechanics, whose use in current practice remains limited.

Stresses, strains and displacements are proportional to a single parameter: the stress intensity coefficient, K. This parameter is a function of the loading of the cracked detail and the geometries of the detail and defect.

The defect does not propagate when K remains below a critical value, called toughness, K _IC , which is a material characteristic measurable under...