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Review of fatigue-crack-growth prediction methods

Increasing knowledge of mean stress and load-sequence effects on fatigue-crack propagation has led to improved methods for predicting crack growth under variable-amplitude loadings characteristic of service conditions

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Abstract

Empirical relations for describing constant-amplitude crack-growth behavior are reviewed. The effect of stress ratio (mean stress) on crack growth is illustrated through the use of plots analogous to constant-lifetime fatigue diagrams.

Experimentally observed load-sequence effects, such as crack retardation due to tensile overloads, acceleration due to compressive overloads, the interaction between tensile and compressive overloads, etc. are summarized. The crack-closure phenomenon is reviewed, since it seems to provide a plausible physical explanation for many sequence effects.

Methods of predicting crack growth under variable-amplitude loading (including irregular loadings representative of actual service) are reviewed and some of their limitations noted.

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Authors
  1. Drew V. Nelson
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Additional information

Drew V. Nelson was Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305; is now with General Electric Co., Sunnycale, CA 94086.

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Nelson, D.V. Review of fatigue-crack-growth prediction methods. Experimental Mechanics 17, 41–49 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02326425

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02326425

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