An understanding of fracture mechanics would have prevented these losses. The SS Schenectady split in two while sitting at dock. Approximately half of the cracks initiated at the corners of the square hatch covers which acted as stress risers. The Liberty ships all had a tendency to crack during cold weather and rough seas, and multiple ships were lost. The image below shows the SS Schenectady tanker, one of the World War II Liberty Ships and one of the most iconic fracture failures. ![]() A failure due to brittle fracture is rapid and catastrophic and provides little warning.Ignoring fracture mechanics can lead to failure of parts at loads below what is expected using a strength-of-materials approach.The intuition of many engineers to prefer higher strength materials can lead them down a dangerous path. Typically, as the strength of a material increases, fracture toughness decreases.Cracks can either pre-exist in a part, or they can develop due to high stress or fatigue. Cracks and crack-like flaws occur much more frequently than might be expected.Fracture mechanics is important to consider for several important reasons:
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