: Today there is a strong demand fibm different industries to use local fracture criteria in a simplified way. This paper presents the main results of a two years joint research project where CEA, EDF, School of Mines and IRSID were associated. A simplified method based on the Beremin models for cleavage and ductile fracture has been developed. This procedure can be used to evaluate the risk of fracture of industrial structures or to allow a rapid development of new materials. Finite element simulations were systematically performed for axisymmetrically notched tensile and precracked specimens using a parametric description of stress-strain laws. Results were presented in the form of graphs that can be used directly for measuring local fracture parameters from tests on axisymmetrically notched specimens and to predict fracture toughness. An additional parameter measuring the level of plastic constraint has been taken into account. This parameter can be easily evaluated on industrial structures. This allows a simple way of using local criteria to evaluate the safety of such structures.

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: This paper describes the use of Local Approach to Fracture in the French steel industry. The criteria used to model cleavage fracture of steels are briefly presented. Various applications covering a wide range of steels are reviewed. These applications illustrate the advantages of the Local Approach, such as scatter prediction, the ability to finely relate microstructure to mechanical properties and to take into account materials with heterogeneous microstructures such as welds. Finally, current developments of the method are presented. These developments will allow a quick and easy implementation of this procedure which will become accessible to industrial laboratories.