Criteria for Fatigue Failure of Materials: Application in Fatigue Assessment of Structures

Abstract

Presently in rules for fatigue assessment of structures subjected to intensive alternating service loading the Stress-Life (S-N) criteria are recommended in versions of the Nominal stress approach, Hot-spot stress and Notch-stress approach based on using the stress range a representative of the current damage. The criteria and approaches provide assessment of fatigue properties of structures accompanied with a series of approximations and uncertainties. A physically and mechanically more correct procedures might be provided by the Strain-life and Inelastic strain energy criteria for fatigue failure and approaches, although specific with intrinsic sources of approximations. The nature of approximations in the approaches is briefly commented and feasible means of improvement the fatigue assessment procedures and applications are presented.