Energy-based prediction of low-cycle fatigue life of BS 460B and BS B500B steel bars

This paper develops energy-based models for predicting low-cycle fatigue life of BS 460B and BS B500B steel reinforcing bars. The models are based on energy dissipated in the first cycle, in average cycles and in total energy dissipated to failure for strain ratios R = −1, −0.5, and 0. Upon prediction of the low-cycle fatigue life, the total energy dissipated during the entire fatigue life of steel reinforcing bars can also be predicted based on the predicted fatigue life. The results indicated that the hysteresis plastic strain energy dissipated during fatigue loading is an important and accurate parameter for predicting the fatigue life of steel reinforcing bars and that the predictions based on energy dissipated on average cycles are more accurate than those based on energy dissipated in the first cycle. It is concluded that the strain ratio R has a clear effect on the energy dissipation for both materials where BS B500B dissipated more energy than BS 460B for R = −0.5 and 0 and about the same energy for R = −1 for certain range of fatigue life. Other conclusions and observations were also drawn based on the experimental results.