It has been well over thirty years since Hillerborg and Bazant presented their land- mark papers (cohesive crack and size effect models respectively), and since the author submitted his Ph.D. dissertation on the application of fracture mechanics to concrete. Yet,…
It has been well over thirty years since Hillerborg and Bazant presented their land- mark papers (cohesive crack and size effect models respectively), and since the author submitted his Ph.D. dissertation on the application of fracture mechanics to concrete. Yet, the practical applica- tions of fracture mechanics have been few and far in between. In this paper, the author will share his experience in trying to apply fracture mechanics not only to concrete structures, but also to other “neighboring” materials such as polymers and ceramics.