Analytical Prediction of Fatigue Crack Propagation in Metals

An analytical model for fatigue crack propagation of long cracks in metals and metal alloys is presented. The key features of the model are an extension of Griffith’s theory of fracture to include fatigue, a dislocation model for the crack tip opening displacement, and cyclic plasticity-induced closure. The net cyclic stretch of the process zone at the crack tip plays a major role in the fatigue crack propagation under cyclic loading. Only constant amplitude loading is considered in this paper. The model predictions utilize only the readily available material properties, such as Young’s modulus, yield strength, threshold stress intensity factor, and the fracture toughness. There are no empirical fitting constants. The model predictions are validated by an extensive amount of published fatigue crack growth studies. The agreement between the model predictions and the experimental data is good.