Book excerpt: This volume contains the edited version of lectures and selected research contributions presented at the NATO ADVANCED STUDY INSTITUTE on ADVANCES IN FATIGUE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. held in Alvor. Portugal, 4th to 15th of April 1988. and organized by CEMUL - Center of Mechanics and Materials of The Technical University of Lisbon. The Institute was attended by 101 participants, including 15 lecturers. from 14 countries. The participants were leading scientists and engineers from universities, research institutions and industry. and also Ph.D~ students. Some participants presented papers during the Institute reporting the state-of-art of their research projects. All the sessions wel'e very active and quite extensive discussions on scientific aspects took place during the Institute. The Advanced Study Institute provided a forum for interaction among eminent scientists and engineers. from different schools of thought and young researchers. The Institute addressed the foundations and current state of the art of essential aspects related to fatigue science and technology, namely: Short Cracks, Metallurgical Aspects, Environmental Fatigue, Threshold Behaviour, Notch Behaviour. Creep and Fatigue Interactions at High Temperature, Multiaxial Fatigue, Low Cycle Fatigue, Methodology of Fatigue Testing, Variable Amplitude Fatigue, Fatigue of Advanced Materials. Elastic-Plastic Fatigue, and several engineering applications such as welded joints, energy systems, offshore structures, automotive industry, machine and engine components. This book is organized in three parts: Part I: Fundamentals of Fatigue Part II: Engineering Applications Part III: Research Contributions The research contributions covered most of the areas referred above.