Inverse analyses in fracture mechanics

The present purpose is a survey of some engineering-oriented research results which may be representative of the main issues in the title subject. Some recent or current developments are pointed out in the growing area of fracture mechanics centered on the calibration of cohesive fracture models for quasi-brittle materials, by approaches which combine experimentation, experiment simulation and minimisation of the discrepancy between measured and computed quantities. Specifically, reference is made herein to the following topics in calibration of fracture constitutive models: (a) deterministic characterisation of concrete-like materials by traditional three-point-bending tests (TPBTs), supplemented by optical measurements; (b) wedge-splitting tests (WST) and extended Kalman filter (EKF) for the stochastic estimation of fracture parameters; (c) in situ parameter identification for the local diagnosis of possibly deteriorated concrete dams on the basis of flat-jack tests; (d) fracture properties of ceramic materials and coating-substrate interfaces identified through indentation tests, imprint mapping and inverse analysis in micro-technologies.