Monday  |  Heritage D  |  10:20 AM–11:00 AM

#17724, Basics of Fatigue, Fracture, and Forensics

This session will commence with a concise review of fatigue and fracture essentials. We will unravel the intricacies of cyclic loading, shedding light on how materials respond to repeated stress cycles and the consequential cumulative damage. Stress concentration, a pivotal concept in applied mechanics, will be dissected to reveal its profound impact on the initiation and propagation of cracks within materials. Furthermore, the mechanisms governing crack propagation will be demystified, elucidating the dynamic processes underlying material degradation. This segment will form a foundation for subsequent discussion in this presentation, and at other sessions during this SEM Annual Meeting.

An exciting departure awaits as the realm of forensics is introduced within the context of experimental mechanics. Understanding the intricacies of fatigue and fracture is paramount in forensics. Fracture surfaces can act as forensic fingerprints, unraveling the story behind failures and providing insights into root causes. Real-world case studies will be dissected, showcasing how forensic principles are applied to unravel mysteries hidden within fractured materials. The integration of forensics with fatigue and fracture mechanics becomes particularly crucial in the failure analysis of critical components found in aerospace, automotive, and civil infrastructure.

This presentation will bridge a gap between classical mechanics and forensic investigation, offering a multidisciplinary lens to solve real-world engineering challenges.

Leah Ginsberg   Engineering Systems, Inc.
Pierce Umberger   Engineering Systems, Inc.