Brudmønster

Brudmønster, literally “fracture pattern,” is the pattern and arrangement of cracks and fractures that develop in a material or at its surface as a result of breaking, deformation, or failure. It encompasses the orientation, spacing, density, and morphology of cracks, including where they start and how they interact. The term is used in Danish and Norwegian contexts and applies across several fields.

In geology, brudmønster describes the network of fractures in rocks, such as joints, vein systems, and fault arrays. In engineering and materials science, it refers to how materials like glass, ceramics, concrete, or metals crack under loading, fatigue, impact, or thermal stress. In forensic science, fracture patterns on broken objects can help infer the sequence of events leading to failure.

Typical fracture patterns include planar joints with preferred orientations, radial cracks emanating from an impact point, concentric rings around a flaw, and polygonal crack networks in cooling or drying processes. Analysis often uses surface examination, microscopy, and digital imaging or 3D reconstruction to map crack traces and estimate directions of stress, magnitude, and history.

Understanding brudmønster supports characterization of material properties, assessment of structural integrity, and reconstruction of loading histories. It also informs design to reduce failure risks and aids interpretation in geological mapping and forensic investigations.