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The present issue of “Fracture and Structural Integrity” contains, among others, a set of papers reporting current research achievements in the field of “Experimental Mechanics of Materials” from a series of Universities and Research Institutes of Greece. The papers were collected within the framework of the activities of the “Greek Society for Experimental Mechanics of Materials” (GSEMM).
GSEMM was founded recently and its mission (as described in its officially Certified Statute) is the production and dissemination of scientific knowledge as well as training, education and know-how transfer in all fields related to “Experimental Mechanics of Materials”. The Society is already accepted by the European Structural Integrity Society (ESIS) as the National Committee of Greece. GSEMM plans to organize the “1st Conference of the Greek Society of Experimental Mechanics of Materials” in Athens from 10 to 12 May 2018. GSEMM is already in contact with the Executive Committee of ESIS in order for the conference to be held under the official auspices of ESIS. Moreover, GSEMM is in contact with the Editor-in-Chief of “Procedia Structural Integrity” in order for the proceedings of the conference (after the proper peer review process), to be published in a special issue of the journal.
The papers included in this issue of “Fracture and Structural Integrity” are original contributions concerning recent developments aiming at highlighting critical aspects of the mechanical behaviour and failure of specific building materials and structures. Attention is focused on the application of certain novel experimental sensing techniques (like Acoustic Emissions, Pressure Stimulated Currents and Electrical Resistance Change of embedded PVA-CNT fibers) in the direction of: (i) pumping data from the interior of tested specimens, (ii) detecting proper pre-failure indicators and, finally, (iii) assessing the potential of the as above mentioned techniques to be used as flexible tools for Structural Health Monitoring. The materials considered are characterized by increased brittleness and include marble, soda-glass, various porous stones, cement mortar and cement-paste and bone tissue. Some of these materials, like for example Dionysos marble and Alfas porous stone, are widely used in on-going restoration projects of classical monuments of the Greek Cultural Heritage. The majority of the papers describe experimental research work, while two of them are based on analytical and/or numerical schemes.
The Guest Editors would like to emphasize that it is an honor and privilege for us the fact that we have had the opportunity to edit this issue of “Fracture and Structural Integrity”. We wish to sincerely thank the authors who have contributed and also, we would like to express our gratitude to the reviewers of all the papers, since they worked tirelessly to assure the scientific quality and originality of the submitted articles.
Finally, we would like to thank the Editor-in-chief of “Fracture and Structural Integrity” Professor Francesco Iacoviello, who provided us with the ‘podium’ of the journal and offered us the opportunity to demonstrate the research implemented at various Greek institutes, in the field of “Experimental Mechanics of Materials”. We hope that the publication of this issue of “Fracture and Structural Integrity” will be the first step towards the enhancement of the relation between the “Italian Group of Fracture” and the newly founded GSEMM, for the mutual benefit of the members of both societies.

Stavros K. Kourkoulis
School of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Department of Mechanics,
National Technical University of Athens,
Athens, Greece

Dimos Triantis
Department of Electronics,
Technological Educational Institution of Athens,
Athens, Greece