Constant-life diagram modified for notch plasticity

Abstract

A modified constant-life Haigh diagram has been formulated to account for plasticity occurring at stress concentrations under cyclic loading at sufficiently high stress ratios. The notch plasticity is assumed to occur within a range of elastic stress concentration factors, k t, and cycles to failure, N f, such that plastic straining occurs only during the first cycle of constant-amplitude cycling and straining remains elastic thereafter. This condition is expected to occur in high cycle fatigue at stress concentrations of moderate k t loaded at high stress ratio. The validity of the model is assessed by means of fatigue data from Ti–6Al–4V notched specimens having a range of k t. The model, purposely kept simple for ease of use as a design tool, is found to capture trends in the fatigue data not predicted using traditional straight-line models on a mean stress versus alternating stress constant-life plot.