We briefly review a number of important recent experimental and theoretical developments
in the field of dynamic fracture. Topics include experimental validation of the equations of …

The field of rock mechanics is concerned with the response of rocks to the forces acting on
them, characterizing this behaviour in specific environments and under varying loading …

A powerful semi-analytical method is developed to investigate the impact of tough inclusions
on crack paths and the resulting effective fracture properties. Using a perturbative approach …

This paper addresses the question of the homogenization of fracture properties for three-
dimensional disordered brittle solids. The effective toughness, identified as the minimum …

Brittle solids typically fail by growth and propagation of a crack from a surface flaw. This
process is modelled using linear elastic fracture mechanics, which parameterizes the …

Cracks develop intricate patterns on the surfaces that they create. As faceted, fracture
surfaces are commonly formed by slow tensile cracks in both crystalline and amorphous …

Crack front waves (FWs) are dynamic objects that propagate along moving crack fronts in
three-dimensional (3D) materials. We study FW dynamics in the framework of a 3D phase …

The microbranching instability occurring for rapidly propagating cracks in brittle materials
has been described in various experiments as an intrinsically three-dimensional …

Slow cracks may be simple, with no internal structure. The leading edge of a simple crack,
the crack front, forms a single fracture plane in its wake. Slow cracks may also develop …

Living tissues and some engineering materials contain water. When a wet material loses
water, high triaxial tensile stress may build up and cause instability. The mechanism of …