Purpose: In the engineering analysis and transport forensic examination, there are often
arise problems in establishing the causes and mechanism for the destruction of structural
elements. At the moment, such problems are poorly formalized and practically do not
take into account the degradation of the material and the gradient of its properties when
destroyed. The purpose of this article was to build a methodology for determining the
distribution of material properties at the initial time and establishing its compliance with the
requirements of regulatory documentation.
Design/methodology/approach: As a technique for solving the problem, was proposed
the expansion of a function in a given basis with subsequent refinement of the solution using
iterative algorithmic schemes.
Findings: Using the developed approaches, it is established that in the surface layers of
12X18H10T steel (AISI 321), after technological modification under the conditions of laser
doping, functional-gradient layers are formed with the material viscosity level characteristics
at 0.8, which corresponds to the established norms, and their destruction occurred as a
result of excessive loads.
Practical implications: With the using of the developed methods makes it possible
to solve the problem of technical forensic examination to determine compliance to the
requirements the properties of functional gradient materials in initial time.
Originality/value: The technique of solving inverse problems of fracture mechanics for
functional gradient materials is shown for the first time.