Editorial: Structural integrity and durability of engineering materials and components

Engineering components and structural details may be subjected in service to quite different loading conditions: high-cycle or low-cycle fatigue (with constant or variable amplitudes), static loadings and/or overloads, vibrations, creep, stress corrosion–just to cite a few examples. Whatever the loading condition, an assessment of the structural integrity for a structural detail must ensure an adequate safety margin against unexpected failures with potential catastrophic consequences. This goal is pursued by the use of theoretical, numerical and experimental approaches, often combined. For example, laboratory tests to estimate fundamental material properties, or full-scale tests to validate a finite element analysis implementing suitable strength models. Most often, scientific research deals with each of these areas separately, by proposing unconventional strength criteria, developing numerical techniques, or testing the durability of specific categories of traditional and advanced materials.