Energy-Based Prediction of Low Cycle Fatigue Life of High-Strength Structural Steel

Energy-based models for predicting the low-cycle fatigue life of high-strength structural steels are presented. The models are based on energy dissipation during average of cycles, cycles to crack propagation and total cycles to failure. Plastic strain energy per cycle was determined and found as an important characteristic for initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks for high-strength structural steels. Fatigue strain-life curves were generated using plastic energy dissipation per cycle (loop area) and compared with the Coffin-Manson relation. Low cycle fatigue life was found similar from both methods. The material showed Masing-type behavior. The cyclic hysterisis energy per cycle was calculated from cyclic stress-strain parameters. The fracture surfaces of the fatigue samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope and the fracture mechanisms were discussed.