Fracture as an academic discipline became established in the mid 1960s. It is concerned with the molecular and crystallographic structures of materials, the elasticity of materials and the reasons why these materials can crack, fracture or otherwise fail. Fracture mechanics is widely used in the construction, automotive and aerospace industries and is largely responsible for the safety of modern air travel through its application to the study of fatigue cracking in aircraft. Extensive revision and updating of a highly acclaimed work Increased emphasis on applications such as microelectronics and biomaterials CD-ROM to accompany the book featuring interactive examples and illustrative problems and solutions A valuable reference resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of materials science and engineering and their lecturers, as well as practising engineers in the aerospace, biomedical devices, microelectronics and automotive industries.