Stress Intensity Factor

The Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) is a measure used in fracture mechanics to describe how a crack in a material responds to stress. It tells us how close a crack is to causing failure under specific loading conditions. Essentially, SIF quantifies the intensity of the stress concentration at the tip of a crack. When this value reaches a critical threshold, the crack can grow, leading to failure. Understanding SIF helps engineers predict when and how materials or structures might fail due to cracking, enabling better design and safety assessments.