Fracture of engineering materials is one of the oldest fields of investigation for material
designers and engineers of civil, automotive, naval, and aerospace structures. The development of new materials and the increased complexity of engineering structures operating in extreme service conditions (e.g., high temperature, chemical attack, radiation, etc.) requires an understanding of fracture mechanisms and the development of predictive models for long-term strength and reliability assessment.

The Fracture Mechanics Laboratory conducts detailed failure analyses and fracture prediction, which includes the development of fracture mechanism maps for advanced materials. These materials include polymers and their composites, ceramics and ceramic composites, carbon-carbon composites, and metal-nonmetal laminates. Studies in these materials are motivated by their potential use in advanced industrial applications. Available means of observation range from electron to ultrasonic microscopy. Along with several conventional testing machines, the laboratory is equipped with a specially designed biaxial machine for assessing fatigue crack growth under complex stress states. The results of understanding and modeling fracture phenomena find applications in: (i) ranking materials with respect to fracture resistance and reliability; (ii) optimization of material morphology for enhanced fracture and fatigue resistance; and (iii) quantitative evaluation of long-term strength and reliability of structures.

Department of Civil and Materials Engineering
University of Illinois at Chicago
2095 Engineering Research Facility
842 W. Taylor Street (M/C 246)
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7023
For additional information, call or email:
David Lewis, Graduate Program Coordinator
E-mail:dlewis@uic.edu
Phone: 312/996-3411
Fax: 312/996-2426