The compressive stress effect on fatigue crack growth under tension–compression loading

Elastic–plastic finite element analyses have been performed to study the compressive stress effect on fatigue crack growth under applied tension–compression loading. The near crack tip stress, displacement and plastic zone size were obtained for a kinematic hardening material. The results have shown that the near crack tip local stress, displacement and reverse plastic zone size continue to change with the change of the applied compressive stress. Based on the finite element analysis results, a fatigue crack propagation model has been developed. Predictions of fatigue crack propagation behaviour under tension–compression loading agreed well with experimental observations.