Written by a leading researcher in the field, this revised and updated second edition of a highly successful book provides an authoritative, comprehensive and unified treatment of the mechanics and micromechanisms of fatigue in metals, nonmetals and composites.

The author discusses the principles of cyclic deformation, crack initiation and crack growth by fatigue, covering both microscopcic and continuum aspects. The book begins with discussions of cyclic deformation and fatigue crack initiation in monocrystalline and polycrystalline ductile alloys as well as in brittle and semi-noncrystalline solids. Total life and damage-tolerant approaches are then introduced in metals, nonmetals and composites along with such advanced topics as multiaxial fatigue, contact fatigue, variable amplitude fatigue, creep fatiuge, and environmentally assisted fatgue. Emphasis is placed upon scientific concepts and mechanisms, and the basic concepts are extendend to many practical cases whenever possible. The book includes an extensive bibliography and a problem set for each chapter, together with worked-out example problems and case studies.

Major additions and revisions in the second edition include: a new chapter providing a comprehensive coverage of contact fatigue, major new sections on thermomechanical fatigue of layered materials and coatings, and multiaxial fatigue, expanded coverage of fatigue in ceramics, polymers and composites, updated information and references in each chapter of the book, sixteen case studies of fatigue damage and failure, twenty-three worked-out example problems, and approximately a hundred practice problems.

The book will be an important reference for students, practicing engineers and researchers studying fracture and fatigue in materials science and engineering, mechanical, civil, nuclear and aerospace engineering and biomechanics.