Finite Fracture Mechanics: linking strength of materials and fracture mechanics to study crack initiation

A thorough understanding of crack initiation and the availability of abstract analysis methods of this physical process are very important for structural design. The framework of Finite Fracture Mechanics (FFM) and the contained concept of the coupled stress and energy criterion will be discussed in detail. It is shown that FFM contains strength of materials and fracture mechanics approaches as limiting cases and provides a continuous transition between these two fundamental methods. Why this leads to an implicit consideration of size effects within the failure model will be discussed. FFM can be used to obtain highly efficient and generic failure models. This is illustrated at hand hand of several applications to different structural situations, allowing for a detailed comparison of the employed modeling approaches.