Numerical simulation of steel wheel dynamic cornering fatigue test

•A method of fatigue damage assessment is proposed based on critical plane theory.•Stress states of steel wheel are analyzed during dynamic cornering fatigue test.•The fatigue test cycles and crack initiation locations are estimated.

A computational methodology is proposed to simulate wheel dynamic cornering fatigue test and estimate its’ multi-axial fatigue life. The technique is based on the critical plane theory and the finite element methods. The prediction of fatigue life is found to be in close agreement with the corresponding experiment. The stress states of wheel are basically biaxial tensile and compression normal stresses during the prototype test. The principal stresses are not proportional and the unstable principle plane is changing with loading direction, which indicates that the fatigue crack may occur first in the circumferential direction of steel wheel.