This volume of proceedings contains the papers from the third in a successful series of conferences organized by the Deutscher Verband fur Materialforschung undprufung DVM]. The purpose of the conference was to review methods of improving the performance of materials and structures and to extend working life, especially under complex loading conditions such as environmental attack and high temperature degradation as well as providing a comprehensive evaluation of recent progress in low cycle fatigue and elasto-plastic behaviour of materials. Safe design and effective operation of highly stressed structures rely on the extensive use of mechanical approaches and micromechanics analysis to predict the deformation and fracture response of materials in service. Because of the need to create greater confidence in the engineering world in advanced materials as efficient replacements for conventional materials, many of the papers emphasize the role of new materials and emerging technology.

In April 1985 two workshop meetings were arranged in two consecutive weeks: the Second CSNI Informal Workshop on Ductile Fracture Test Methods was organised and hosted by OECD, Paris, and chaired by F.J. Loss. It took place on 17th-19th April 1985. It dealt primarily with experimen- tal techniques in elastic-plastic fracture mechanics and standardisation of J and JR-curve tests. In order to enable overseas participants to Ic attend this meeting and the Workshop on the CTOD Methodology the latter was scheduled for 23th-25th April 1985 at the GKSS-Forschungs- zentrum Geesthacht. Thus, a number of participants took part in the debates on the merits of the CTOD concept, having the state-of-the-art of the J-integral philosophy freshly in mind. In this respect, the twin arrangement was very fruitful. Three days were planned for the meeting, in order to have sufficient time for presenting and discussing 27 contributions. Because of the workshop-type of the meeting several contri butions on on- going research were presented which were not intended to be published. The Studiengesellschaft zur F5rderung der Kernenergieverwertung in Schiff- bau und Schiffahrt e.V. (KEST) and the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk generously sponsored the workshop, which is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are due to GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht for hosting the meeting.