Vocabulary: Fatigue Failure, Fatigue Life, Fracture Mechanics

Variable Loading ≠ Static loading

Fully reversed loading
Fluctuating stress ≠ Static constant stress
Variable loading can lead to fatigue failure
The strain life theory of fatigue failure
Fatigue strength (résistance à la fatigue)
Endurance limits and fatigue strenghts of materials are determined experimentally by tests on
specimens.
Specimens (éprouvette) are subjected to repeated or varying forces of specified magnitudes while the
cycles (or stress reversals) are counted to destruction.

Endurance limit (limite d’endurance σD)

Endurance limits σD(Ni) for a given number of cycles Ni.
Tensile strength (résistance à la rupture en traction)
Yield stress σE
Fluctuating stress descrition : σmin minimum stress
σmax maximum stress
σm mean stress
σa stress amplitude, or alternating stress
σr stress range (σmax – σmin)
The endurance diagram: S-N Curve (for steels when plotted in a log-log scale is a straight line
between 103 and 106 cycles)
Fatigue strength reduction factor KF
Stress concentration factor Kt

Combination of loading modes

Multi axial stresses
Cumulative fatigue damage

The theory which is in greatest use at the present time to explain fatigue damage is « the Palmgren –
Miner cycle-ratio summation theory” also called Miner’s rule.
Fracture mechanics approach: “remaining life in a specimen after discovering a crack”
Elastic stress intensity factor K0=σ(πa)1/2
Fracture toughness (solidité) : Critical Stress intensity factor KIC.
Hence for a stress s and a crack of size a, when K0 reaches KIC then the crack propagates.
Brittle-like material (cassant)
The three fracture or cracking modes (opening, sliding, tearing)
Crack propagation
Stress intensity range ∆K=Kmax-Kmin
Vocabulary: Fatigue Failure, Fatigue Life, Fracture Mechanics
Variable Loading ≠ Static loading
Fully reversed loading
Fluctuating stress ≠ Static constant stress
Variable loading can lead to fatigue failure
The strain life theory of fatigue failure
Fatigue strength (résistance à la fatigue)
Endurance limits and fatigue strenghts of materials are determined experimentally by tests on
specimens.
Specimens (éprouvette) are subjected to repeated or varying forces of specified magnitudes while the
cycles (or stress reversals) are counted to destruction.

Endurance limit (limite d’endurance σD)

Endurance limits σD(Ni) for a given number of cycles Ni.
Tensile strength (résistance à la rupture en traction)
Yield stress σE
Fluctuating stress descrition : σmin minimum stress
σmax maximum stress
σm mean stress
σa stress amplitude, or alternating stress
σr stress range (σmax – σmin)
The endurance diagram: S-N Curve (for steels when plotted in a log-log scale is a straight line
between 103 and 106 cycles)
Fatigue strength reduction factor KF
Stress concentration factor Kt

Combination of loading modes

Multi axial stresses
Cumulative fatigue damage

The theory which is in greatest use at the present time to explain fatigue damage is « the Palmgren –
Miner cycle-ratio summation theory” also called Miner’s rule.
Fracture mechanics approach: “remaining life in a specimen after discovering a crack”
Elastic stress intensity factor K0=σ(πa)1/2
Fracture toughness (solidité) : Critical Stress intensity factor KIC.
Hence for a stress s and a crack of size a, when K0 reaches KIC then the crack propagates.
Brittle-like material (cassant)
The three fracture or cracking modes (opening, sliding, tearing)
Crack propagation
Stress intensity range ∆K=Kmax-Kmin