The present paper initially summarises an experimental and theoretical study of the fracture of
circumferentially notched samples of a commercial aluminium alloy, i.e., Al 6082, subjected to tension, torsion
and mixed tension/torsion loading. Subsequently, attention is focused on the use of the so-called Theory of
Critical Distances (TCD) to predict static breakage under complex loading when ductile materials contain
geometrical features. Our method proved to be capable of estimates characterised by the usual level of accuracy
shown by the TCD when used in other ambits of the structural integrity discipline, that is, of predictions falling
within an error interval of about 20%. This result is very encouraging especially in light of the fact that our
simple linear-elastic approach was used to estimate static strength even when the material in the vicinity of crack
initiation sites