FATIGUE LIFE ESTIMATION IN NOTCHED GEOMETRIES

The fatigue failure in components is divided in two stages: an initiation stage that defines the number of cycles that it takes for a crack to appear in the material and a second stage that estimates the number of cycles where the crack grows until it becomes unstable. Usual fatigue life estimation procedures (in crack free components) only consider the initiation stage and assume that the crack propagation period is relatively small compared with the total life. However, in the case of severely notched geometries like threaded connections, the propagation stage can be an important part of the component fatigue life and must be evaluated. A fundamental issue in the calculation of initiation plus propagation fatigue life is the definition of the initial crack size after the initiation stage. In the present study techniques for crack initiation and crack growth are described. Also the procedure to combine the two techniques and define an initial crack size is presented. The study is based on previous work of C. Navarro, et al. [1]. Additionally, validation against experimental tests on notched specimens is provided.