Abstract
ABSTRACTA new method for fatigue life prediction of spot welds subjected to variable amplitude loads is proposed. The method is based on the concept of crack closure and is experimentally verified with three different specimens and four different load signals with variable amplitude. Experimental fatigue lives were found to be within a factor of three from the predicted lives. To start with, the stress intensity factor history at the spot weld is calculated with a finite element analysis. Then, crack closure is taken into account: the crack opening stress intensity factor, which is assumed to be constant, is determined from the maximum and minimum in the history. All stress intensities lower than the crack opening level are filtered from the calculated history. The filtered history is then analysed with rain flow count. Finally, fatigue life is predicted with the Palmgren–Miner cumulative damage rule together with an effective (closure‐free) curve for spot welds. In addition, single overload tests were carried out to investigate the assumption of a constant crack opening stress.
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