Focus and Scope

Welcome to Fracture and Structural Integrity, the official international journal of the Italian Group of Fracture (IGF).
Our mission is to advance global understanding of structural failure and reliability by providing an elite, inclusive platform for disseminating cutting-edge research.

An interdisciplinary mandate
We believe that solving modern structural integrity challenges requires a collaborative effort. Our journal serves as a vital meeting point for engineers, metallurgists, materials scientists, physicists, chemists, and mathematicians. We welcome original analytical, numerical, and experimental contributions that bridge the gap between fundamental science and practical engineering applications.

The Diamond Open Access model
We are a pioneer in the Diamond Open Access movement. Supported by the IGF and community crowdfunding, we ensure that high-quality science remains accessible to all:
No fees for authors: No Article Processing Charges (APCs) or submission fees.
No fees for readers: All content is immediately and permanently free for everyone, anywhere in the world.

Core thematic areas
To ensure expert peer review and high discoverability, the journal is organised into specialised thematic sections:
- Analytical, computational, and physical models: New criteria and multi-scale simulations.
- Damage and fracture mechanics: Research on degradation, creep, and crack growth.
- Metallic alloys: From traditional steels to light alloys (Al, Ti, Mg) and high-entropy materials.
- Non-metallic and composite materials: Ceramics, concrete, polymers, wood, and bio-materials.
- Failure analysis and forensic engineering: Scientific investigation of structural failures.
- Environment and durability: Corrosion-fatigue, hydrogen embrittlement, and dynamic loading.

At the forefront of publishing innovation
We embrace the future of scholarly communication through modern tools and ethical standards:
- HTML version: it enhances readability on mobile devices, such as smartphones
- Visual Abstracts: Every paper includes a mandatory 2-minute video abstract to maximize its impact and visibility across social media and digital platforms.
- Graphical Abstracts: Representing key conclusions through visual synthesis
- Podcast: Deep dive into the research highlights
- Open Science Badges: We promote transparency by rewarding authors who share their underlying research data and materials (Open Data / Open Materials Badges).
- AI Policy (TITAN 2025): We implement rigorous standards for Artificial Intelligence, ensuring transparency, human-centric accountability, and the integrity of the scientific record.

Why publish with us?
- Efficiency: We maintain a rapid publication cycle, with a first decision in 24 hours and with an average time of 48 days from acceptance to publication.
- Global Reach: Our research is indexed in major databases, including Scopus (since 2012) and Web of Science (since 2015).
- Reviewer Excellence: Our "Elite Reviewer" program recognises high-quality, fast-turnaround reviews, granting top referees fast-track benefits for their own future submissions.

The main topics of interest for the journal are:
Analytical, computational and physical Models; Biomaterials and Wood Fracture and Fatigue; Biomechanics; Ceramics Fracture and Damage; Composites; Computational Mechanics; Concrete & Rocks; Creep Fracture; Damage Mechanics; Damage and fracture in materials under dynamic loading; Durability of structures; Environmentally Assisted Fracture; Failure Analysis and Case Studies; Fatigue - Crack Growth (all materials); Fatigue Resistance of metals; Fatigue of Metals – Very High Cycle; Failure Analysis and Forensic Engineering; Fractography and Advanced metallography; Fracture and Fatigue at Atomistic and Molecular Scales; Fracture and fatigue testing systems; Fracture under Mixed-Mode and Multiaxial Loading; Fracture vs. Gradient Mechanics; Functional Gradient Materials; Impact & Dynamics; Fundamentals of cohesive zone models; History of Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue; Innovative Alloys; Linear and Nonlinear Fracture Mechanics; Materials mechanical behavior and image analysis; Mesomechanics of Fracture; Micromechanisms of Fracture and Fatigue; Multi-physics and multi-scale modelling of cracking in heterogeneous materials; Multiscale Experiments and Modeling; Nanostructured Materials; Nondestructive Examination; Physical Aspects of Brittle Fracture; Physical Aspects of Ductile Fracture; Polymers Fracture and Fatigue; Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics; Reliability and Life Extension of Components; Repair and retrofitting: modelling and practical applications; Sandwiches, Joints and Coatings; Smart Materials; Structural Integrity; Temperature Effect; Thin Films.

Join our global scientific community. Whether you are an established researcher or an early-career scientist, Fracture and Structural Integrity is the ideal home for your work.