A multiaxial high-cycle fatigue life evaluation model for notched structural components

• A multiaxial fatigue life evaluation model for notched structural components is proposed.
• The impact of the stress field on fatigue life is taken into account in the model.
• The effective stress at the notch root is obtained based on the Theory of Critical Distances.
• Multiaxial fatigue tests are performed for specimens of Al–Si alloy.
• The model has a high accuracy and seems to be applicable in engineering.

A model for multiaxial high-cycle fatigue life evaluation of notched structural components is proposed, which considers the impact of the stress field on fatigue life by utilizing the Theory of Critical Distances (TCD) and Finite Element Method (FEM). The maximum shear stress range plane is defined as the critical plane, and the damage parameters are the maximum effective shear stress amplitude and the maximum effective normal stress, which are obtained by averaging the stress in the hemisphere volume around the maximum stress point. To validate the accuracy of the model, multiaxial fatigue tests are carried out for both smooth and notched specimens of Aluminum–Silicon alloy. The results indicate that the evaluated life and experimental life have a good agreement.