Comments on “Is the cause of size effect on structural strength fractal or energetic-statistical?” by Ba?ant & Yavari [Engng Fract Mech 2005;72:1-31]

Aim of this letter to the Editor is at replying to the criticisms raised by Ba?ant and Yavari [Ba?ant ZP, Yavari A. Is the cause of size effect on structural strength fractal or energetic - statistical? Engng Fract Mech 2005;72:1-31] against the fractal approach to the size-scale effects on the mechanical properties of materials and the concept of the Multi-Fractal Scaling Law presented by Carpinteri [Carpinteri A. Scaling laws and renormalization groups for strength and toughness of disordered materials. Int J Solids Struct 1994;31:291-302]. These criticisms will be analysed thoroughly, showing how they also contain some mistakes and misunderstandings. The presented elucidations should redirect the discussion to a more correct scientific debate.