Engineering English
Fracture Mechanics
Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of crack propagation in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and the material's resistance to fracture.
Example in context
“The engineer used fracture mechanics to determine the safe operating conditions for the cracked pipe.”
“Mühendis, çatlaklı borunun güvenli çalışma koşullarını belirlemek için kırılma mekaniğini kullandı.”
Where engineers use it
Fracture mechanics is applied in structural integrity assessments, such as evaluating crack growth in aircraft fuselages or pipelines. Engineers need it to predict failure and set inspection intervals.
Practice: can you use “Fracture Mechanics” at work?
A pressure vessel shows a crack detected during inspection. The junior engineer must use fracture mechanics to compute the remaining safe life.
Show a model answer
“Fracture mechanics helps engineers calculate the critical crack size.”
“Fracture Mechanics” in 21 languages
| English | Fracture Mechanics |
|---|---|
| Turkish | kırılma mekaniği |
| French | mécanique de la rupture |
| German | Bruchmechanik |
| Spanish | mecánica de fractura |
| Chinese | 断裂力学 |
| Arabic | ميكانيكا الكسر |
| Portuguese | mecânica da fratura |
| Russian | механика разрушения |
| Japanese | 破壊力学 |
| Italian | meccanica della frattura |
| Vietnamese | cơ học phá hủy |
| Hindi | फ्रैक्चर मैकेनिक्स |
| Thai | กลศาสตร์การแตกหัก |
| Indonesian | mekanika patah |
| Korean | 파괴역학 |
| Bengali | ফ্র্যাকচার মেকানিক্স |
| Dutch | breukmechanica |
| Swedish | brottmekanik |
| Finnish | murtumismekaniikka |
| Ukrainian | механіка руйнування |
Frequently asked questions
What does Fracture Mechanics mean in engineering?
Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of crack propagation in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and the material's resistance to fracture. In Materials Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Fracture Mechanics?
Fracture Mechanics is pronounced /ˈfræk.tʃər məˈkæn.ɪks/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Fracture Mechanics used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The engineer used fracture mechanics to determine the safe operating conditions for the cracked pipe.”
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