Explores ways to increase the reliability in the initial quality of engineering materials, components and structures.

Leading experts in the field have presented eleven peer-reviewed papers addressing such issues as:

• The impact of production processing changes on laminated high-strength stainless steel corrosion damage and fatigue strength loss

• High temperature applications using fracture mechanics methodologies

• The influence of density and porosity size and shape on the fatigue properties of a high-strength powder metallurgy steel

• How to alleviate performance problems in a nickel base fastener system

• The effect of alterations in plating and shot peening design criteria on 4340 steel plate fatigue properties

• Fatigue behavior alteration in scale-model reinforced concrete bridge decks subjected to moving loads

• Design criteria and analysis procedures for reliable commercial transport aircraft maintenance

• Design methods to address crack arrest and avoid brittle failure in low-temperature storage tanks.