ME 616 - Fracture Mechanics

 

Spring 2021-22

Prof. Tanmay Bhandakkar

Author: Goparaju Khushal

Pre-requisite courses: AE 227

Pre-requisite skills: None

Course Content:

  • Limitation of Strength based approach, Significance of Fracture Mechanics.
  • Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), Quick review of Linear Elasticity, Asymptotic crack-tip field, Fracture modes, Energy release rate, Griffith theory of fracture, Mode-III crack, Stress-intensity factor, Irwin G-K relationship, Complex variable approach, Finite crack subjected to mode-III loading, Surface crack, K-dominance zone, Cohesive crack, Analysis of Mode-I and Mode-II cracks, catalogue of stress-intensity factor, crack branching, Mixed-mode fracture, Energy methods in Fracture Mechanics, Elastic-plastic Fracture Mechanics.
  • Plastic zone size, Fracture criterion, Fracture resistance curve, Mode-III solution for elastic-perfectly plastic solid, J-integral, HRR field, Experimental and Computational measurement of J-integral, Dugdale-Barenblatt cohesive zone model.

Motivation to take up the course: Importance of Fracture in every structure.


Information about Projects/Assignments: All assignments are very easy but tricky.

Evaluation Structure: 2 Quizzes + 4 HWs + Midsem + Endsem

Quizzes/Midsem/Endsem papers Difficulty: 4/5

Assignments Difficulty: 2/5

Lecture Style and Delivery: Prof has very good teaching skills, one of the best. Everything about the course is perfectly balanced, the difficulty, the effort etc.

Attendance Policy: None, but not suggested to miss any


General funda: For aero people AE 227 acts as a very good prerequisite which makes first half of the course relatively easy. A very good course to learn. Nothing more than the lecture are needed. Everything will be available in notes. The difficulty of exams is not because of the difficulty of concepts but rather the new complications in the questions. The solutions to these are always simple as long as you are perfect with given concepts.

Should you do this course?: Anyone who is interested in structures.