FRACTURE MECHANICS THREE DAY COURSE
ADELAIDE | 10-12 NOVEMBER 2026
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS NOW OPEN
Master Fatigue and Fracture Analysis: Improve Reliability and Reduce Failure Risk
Build confidence in fatigue and fracture analysis with this practical, industry-focused course. Learn how to apply modern methods like FAD, assess flaws, and make smarter decisions around material selection, safety and asset life. If you’re involved in design, testing or integrity assessment, this is a valuable opportunity to strengthen your technical capability and deliver better project outcomes.
Providing a practical understanding of fatigue and fracture calculations, this course is intended for engineers who are required to perform such calculations, or who specify or evaluate testing and draft fatigue or fracture portions of design requirements. It covers the latest methodologies such as weight functions and the failure assessment diagram (FAD) approach. Damage tolerance analysis, reliability, and risked-based inspection will also be discussed.
By participating in this course, you will learn how to successfully:
- Explain the underlying assumptions and limitations of fracture mechanics
- Describe the process for material selection for fatigue and fracture resistance
- Explain how to perform simple to moderately complex fracture mechanics calculations
- Identify codified procedures for flaw evaluation
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Engineers who work with mechanical design, mechanics and structures as well as those involved in testing and equipment fabrication.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Day One
Introduction
- Video: “The Last of the Liberties”, which documents the brittle fracture of the Liberty Ships in WW II and the resulting birth of fracture mechanics as an engineering discipline.
- Fracture mechanics versus strength-of-materials approach to design against fracture
- Fracture mechanics versus S-N curve approach to design against fatigue failure
Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM)
- The Griffith model for cracks
- The energy release rate parameter
- The stress intensity factor (K)
- Crack tip similitud
- Crack tip plasticity
- KIc testing
Elastic-plastic fracture mechanics
- Crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) parameter
- J-integral parameter
- JIc and J resistance curve testing
- Similitude under elastic-plastic conditions
Day Two
Introduction to fatigue crack growth
- Similitude in fatigue
- Empirical crack growth equations
- Life prediction by numerical integration
- Using crack growth analysis to define inspection intervals
Advanced topics in fatigue
- Crack closure
- Linear damage model for variable-amplitude loading
- Retardation and load interaction
- Growth of small cracks
Environmental cracking
- Basic principles and terminology in corrosion engineering
- Stress corrosion cracking (SCC)
- Hydrogen embrittlement
- Corrosion fatigue
- Laboratory testing
LEFM Applications
- The principle of superposition
- Computing stress intensity factor for polynomial stress gradients
- The weight function method for arbitrary stress gradients
Day Three
Elastic-plastic applications
- The EPRI J estimation handbook
- Ductile instability
- The failure assessment diagram (FAD) method
- Incorporating weld residual stresses into the FAD method
- Monte Carlo probabilistic analysis
Finite element analysis of components with cracks
- Incorporating a crack into a finite element mesh
- Comparison of methods to compute KI
- Modeling crack growth with finite element analysis
Fracture mechanisms in metals & alloys
- Ductile fracture (microvoid coalescence)
- Cleavage fracture
- The ductile-brittle transition region
- Intergranular fracture
General discussion and course wrap-up
About the Presenter: US Expert Dr Ted Anderson
About the Presenter: US Expert Dr Ted AndersonDr Anderson is the author of Fracture Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, which has remained the top selling textbook in its field since the 1st Edition was published. This book has been adopted as a required text by over 150 universities, and is a favourite reference for practicing engineers.
Dr Anderson has recently returned to independent consulting after serving as the Senior VP of Technology Development for Team Inc. and the Chief Technology Officer for Quest Integrity. He founded his original consulting and software company, SRT. Quest Integrity acquired SRT and later, Team Inc. acquired Quest Integrity. Prior to founding SRT, Dr Anderson was an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University and a Senior Research Engineer at The Welding Institute (TWI). He holds a Ph.D. in Metallurgy from the Colorado School of Mines.
Dr Anderson has written 4 book chapters and over 100 published articles. He is active in multiple industry organisations and standards committees, and is a principal author of the API/ASME Fitness-for-Service Standard (API 579).
COURSE DETAILS
- 10-12 November 2026 in Adelaide
- EOIs open for other locations
- Registration first day: 8:00am
- Course time: 8:30am – 5:00pm
COST
- Non Members: $3,810 inc GST
- Members: discount according to your membership type
Please note: in order for the course to go ahead, minimum attendee numbers must be reached. Payment is required at the time of booking.
Cancellation four weeks prior to the start date will not be refunded.
A certificate of attendance will be issued by ASME.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about this course, please contact: Danielle Pennington (Corporate Engagement Manager) on d.pennington@weldaustralia.com.au or 0493 024 505.