Editing Damage tolerance (section)

{{Short description|Ability of a structure to withstand defects safely until it can be repaired}}

In [[engineering]], '''damage tolerance''' is a property of a structure relating to its ability to sustain defects safely until repair can be effected. The approach to [[Engineering design process|engineering design]] to account for damage tolerance is based on the assumption that flaws can exist in any structure and such flaws propagate with usage. This approach is commonly used in [[aerospace engineering]], [[mechanical engineering]], and [[civil engineering]] to manage the extension of [[Fracture|cracks]] in structure through the application of the principles of [[fracture mechanics]].  A structure is considered to be damage tolerant if a maintenance program has been implemented that will result in the detection and repair of accidental damage, [[corrosion]] and [[Fatigue (material)|fatigue]] cracking before such damage reduces the [[residual strength]] of the structure below an acceptable limit.