Stress intensity factor

Quantity in fracture mechanics; predicts stress intensity near a crack's tip

In fracture mechanics, the stress intensity factor is used to predict the stress state near the tip of a crack or notch caused by a remote load or residual stresses. It is a theoretical construct usually applied to a homogeneous, linear elastic material and is useful for providing a failure criterion for brittle materials, and is a critical technique in the discipline of damage tolerance. The concept can also be applied to materials that exhibit small-scale yielding at a crack tip.

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