An improved neural computing method for describing the scatter of S-N curves

The reliability evaluation of structural components under random loading is affected by several uncertainties. Proper statistical tools should be used to manage the large amount of causalities and the lack of knowledge on the actual reliability-affecting parameters. For fatigue reliability prediction of a structural component, the probability distribution of material fatigue resistance should be determined, given that the scatter of loading spectra is known and a suitable damage cumulating model is chosen. In the randomness of fatigue resistance of a material, constant amplitude fatigue test results show that at any stress level the fatigue life is a random variable. In this instance fatigue life is affected by a variety of influential factors, such as stress amplitude, mean stress, notch factor, temperature, etc. Therefore a hybrid neural computing method was proposed for describing the fatigue data trends and the statistical scatter of fatigue life under constant loading conditions for an arbitrary set of influential factors. To support the main idea, two examples are presented. It can be concluded that the improved neural computing method is suitable for describing the fatigue data trends and the scatter of fatigue life under constant loading conditions for an arbitrary set of influential factors, once the optimal neural network is designed and trained. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.