Multiaxial high-cycle fatigue modelling for random loading

Abstract

In this paper, a multiaxial fatigue life prediction model is proposed under general multiaxial random loadings. First, a brief review for existing multiaxial fatigue models is given and special focus is on the LiuMahadevan critical plane concept, which can be applied to both brittle and ductile materials. Next, new model development based on the Liu-Mahadevan critical plane concept for random loading is presented. The key concept is to use two-steps to identify the critical plane: identify the maximum damage plane due to normal stress and calculate the critical plane orientation with respect to the maximum damage plane due to normal stress. Multiaxial rain-flow cycle counting method with mean stress correction is used to estimate the damage on the critical plane. Equivalent stress transformation is proposed to convert the multiaxial random load spectrum to an equivalent constant amplitude spectrum. The equivalent stress is used for fatigue life prediction. Following this, experimental design and testing is performed for Al 7075-T6 under various different random uniaxial and multiaxial spectrums. The developed model is validated with both literature and in-house testing data. Very good agreement is observed for the investigated material. Finally, conclusion and future work is given based on the proposed study.