Material failure mechanisms and damage models

This work introduces a tutorial series on material failure mechanisms and damage models to familiarize nonspecialists with the fundamentals of failure mechanisms in engineering assemblies. Since failure is a complicated concept, four simple conceptual models for failure are discussed: stress-strength, damage-endurance, challenge-response, and tolerance-requirement. The specific failure mechanisms depend on material or structural defects, damage induced during manufacture and assembly, and on conditions during storage and field use. Conditions that affect the state of an item are broadly termed stresses (loads), e.g., mechanical stress and strain, electrical current and voltage, temperature, humidity, chemical environment, and radiation. The effects of stresses are influenced by geometry, constitutive and damage properties of the materials, manufacturing parameters, and the application environment