August Wöhler – founder of fatigue strength research

Abstract

AbstractThe year 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of August Wöhler's death. On that occasion the authors wrote a book about his scientific work, his work on the safety of components and structures in the emerging industrial society, his life and his significance for the historical development in the field of fatigue strength of components and structures [1]. Those investigations were accomplished in cooperation with the DVM (German Association for Materials Research and Testing). As national and international events have shown [2], that book is of great interest. Therefore, an English version suggested itself, not least because of the 200th anniversary of Wöhler's birth in 2019.August Wöhler was an interesting and unique character, influenced by the 19th century Industrial Revolution, especially railway development. The spread of that new technology caused numerous problems. Fractures occurred on axles, wheels and rails at stresses below the component's static fracture strength. Through systematic tests, August Wöhler was able to prove that repeated stresses far below the static strength might lead to fractures. The present article gives a brief overview of Wöhler's life and achievements.