Fatigue damage analysis and life assessment under variable amplitude loading conditions

An earlier developed critical plane-energy based damage parameter has been further developed to assess the life of engineering components subjected to variable service loading conditions. In damage analysis, the effects of materials memory, small cycles and loading sequence on the hysteresis stress-strain loops of materials have been included. The parameter successfully correlated fatigue lives of a low carbon steel and two aluminum alloys of 7075-T651 and 2024-T3 subjected to variable amplitude loading spectra.