Investigation of Fatigue Crack Acceleration under Variable Amplitude Loading for a Structural Steel and Aluminium Alloy

Abstract:

There are currently serious doubts about the accuracy of Miners rule for designing welded structures subjected to variable amplitude loading, particularly under spectra cycling down from a constant maximum stress. The deficiency has been attributed primarily to stress interaction effects that cause crack growth acceleration. In this paper the crack growth response of a structural steel and an aluminium alloy to a loading spectrum designed to promote fatigue crack acceleration is studied and the potential mechanisms responsible are evaluated.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 891-892)
• Pages: 581-587
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.891-892.581
• Online since: March 2014
• Authors: Matthew J. Doré*, Stephen J. Maddox
• Keywords: Aluminium Alloy, Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG), Structural Steel, Variable Amplitude Loading

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