In vehicle structural fatigue life assessment, the time-domain Peak over Threshold (POT) extrapolation method is widely used due to its ability to overcome testing constraints and accurately extrapolate whole life-cycle load while maintaining realistic probability distribution. However, random road load spectra often contain trend components influenced by terrain and driving maneuvers, which may reduce the POT method’s adaptability and lead to extrapolation distortions. Existing POT extrapolation methods also struggle with reliance on single threshold criteria and inadequate extreme value fitting. To address these issues, this paper proposes an improved time-domain POT extrapolation method that incorporates load decomposition and threshold preference. The wavelet decomposition is utilized to extract the principal and trend components from random signals, allowing for targeted extrapolation of principal component load that embodies the main characteristics. Meanwhile, during the extrapolation process, a comprehensive threshold preference model utilizing multiple evaluation criteria for Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) fitting is established, with the genetic algorithm determining the optimal threshold. Then, new extreme values are generated through GPD parameter estimation and Monte-Carlo simulation to replace the original ones. The extrapolated principal component load is subsequently superimposed with the original trend load to complete the extrapolation. Validation with a prototype vehicle’s durability spectrum under real driving conditions demonstrates the method’s efficacy in preventing distortions and achieving accurate threshold determination, with predicted load characteristics and fatigue damage highly aligning with measured verification data. It can provide a valuable technical reference for whole life-cycle fatigue load acquisition of mechanical structures.
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