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PREFACE
Tenth International Fracture Mechanics Summer Schools (IFMASS 10) had been
organized in 2008, on the mountain Zlatibor, in Serbia. Following established tradition,
organisers decided to publish the monograph
“Fundamentals of fracture mechanics and structural integrity assessment methods”
This book is the tenth in IFMASS monograph series. First four volumes had been
published in Serbian, the fifth one in English and a shortened version in Serbian, sixth
and seventh in Serbian, and last three in English. This enabled an extended use of
IFMASS books not only in former Yugoslavia and its federal states, but also world wide.
Last three editions are also available on internet, DIVK site
divk.org.rs.
The role of IFMASS is accomplished in the best way, and it served not only for
education, but also as a forum to present the achievements and exchange the ideas
regarding theoretical, experimental and numerical development of fracture mechanics,
and structural integrity and life assessment. Very important in that sense was the joint
Yugoslav–USA project “Fracture Mechanics of Weldments”, performed by six
institutions from former Yugoslavia and the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), Boulder, Colorado (USA) that started in 1982 and ended in 1992.
The IFMASS 5 attracted in Dubrovnik 145 participants and 24 lecturers recognised in
the power industry world-wide and monograph “The Application of Fracture Mechanics
to Life Estimation of Power Plant Components” had been published in English by EMAS
Publisher.
Unfortunate events started in 1991, disturbed IFMASS in its mission. However, even
in these circumstances, two Schools had been organized successfully. It was the time
when foreign lecturers hesitated to come to our country, but IFMASS still saved its
importance, attracting 137 participants and 8 foreign contributions out of 25 given
lectures at IFMASS 7 in 1997. Unfortunate events culminated in 1999 with NATO
bombardment which delayed monograph publishing until 2000. Next important event
was founding of the Society for Structural Integrity and Life (DIVK) in 2001. New
Society reactivated IFMASS, and next three Schools were organized.. It is to underline
that, in addition to IFMASS, important position in considering the topics connected with
fracture mechanics and allied field has now DIVK journal “Structural Integrity and
Life”, also available on the internet.
The activities motivated by DIVK members are of great importance for furher
development in Serbia in the field of structural integrity and life in industry, and in the
same time present the base for education, research and investigation.