ME 526Fatigue and Fracture Analysis
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
- Subject
- Mechanical Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 2 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Fatigue and fracture analysis of metallic components including welded joints. Review of test and design procedures. Sources of cyclic loading. Cyclic counting procedures and cumulative damage. S-N curves and effects of mean, residual and multiaxial stressing. Stress concentrations; scatter and fatigue life distributions. Transition temperature concepts. Linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis of fatigue crack propagation and fracture initiation. Crack arrest.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
- Students must be in level 4A or higher
- Enrolled in H-Mechanical Engineering, or H-Mechatronics Engineering
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 8373 | 0 / 80 | Th 17:30–20:20 |
| LEC 701 | 8434 | 68 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
Reviewed on UW Flow
60% liked it64% easy78% useful
From 10 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Its unfortunate that the content is pretty useful for mech eng jobs and interviews, because the course it's self is very painful.
Apr 2024 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
This course is so full of equations that it's almost impossible to keep everything straight. That said, the course is also pretty easy for that reason; they can't test everything.
Mar 2023 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
As others have said its not too difficult but can be hard to keep up at times with content. There are 6 assignments that are pretty good at keeping you up to date on the different sections. The exam and project weren't too hard either. I wasn't the best at going to class post reading week so the crunch for the final was a bit tough just due to the number of slides and concepts. Would recommend this course though since its not too difficult and useful in industry.
May 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Pretty easy and useful course, the content is just longgggggg.
Apr 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Way too much content. Every 3 slides is a new theorem with 3-4 equations and 7 new variables (all sharing symbols from other theories with random subscripts). In total probably around 100 formulas and 20-30 different theories to apply. Stress raisers, surface finish & other factors, welds, multiaxial, 4 different strain hardening models, variable loading, mean stress, curve estimating, hysteresis the list is endless. Then double it to accommodate low cycle fatigue with yielding. Just to be sure lets add a few chapters on fracture mechanics / toughness / energy storage and then finish it off with an entire chapter on crack growth. Oh thought that was it? Nope here's a chapter on fatigue in…
Apr 2024 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
4 posts and comments in 4 threads mention ME 526, March 2019 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2021
Mechanical engineering undergrad retrospective 201 points, 42 comments
u/doAbr00talroll: “… • ME526: Such a chill course. There are a lot of equations to be familiar with but Kwon is a great prof and provides ample examples to study from. Almost weekly assignments (that aren't too hard) and the exams are not cumulative which is nice. I liked it a lot personally. …”
Fall 2020
Engineering ranked by Math Difficulty? 9 points, 18 comments
“In your opinion, how would you rank the difficulty/depth of math that each engineering student has to go through? (By major)”
u/doAbr00talroll: “… I'm just in 4a though so the 4b courses might be harder math wise given there's stuff like ME547 (robot manipulators), ME524 and ME526 (one of them is fatigue the other is advanced dynamics and vibrations, I forget which is which)”
Winter 2019
What is the TLDR of the course you’re currently studying for? 31 points, 33 comments
“I'll start TL;DR of KIN 427 - Low Back Disorders: Sitting for too long is not good for you. Standing for too long is not good for you. Therefore do both. Also don’t lift stuff with your back flexed.”
u/yummyybubbles: “TL;DR of ME 526 - Fatigue and Fracture analysis: shit breaks ... eventually.”
Anyone else still have midterms? 17 points, 21 comments
u/TheBioBoy: “This post not made by engineering”
u/timmoer: “Not true. My ME526 midterm is coming up. Still don't know when that is, since the Prof still hasn't announced when it'll be”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them