This article describes the phenomena of crack initiation and early growth. It examines specimen design and preparation as well as the apparatus used in crack initiation testing. The article provides descriptions of the various commercially available fatigue testing machines: axial fatigue testing machines and bending fatigue machines. Load cells, grips and alignment devices, extensometry and strain measuring devices, environmental chambers, graphic recorders, furnaces, and heating systems of ancillary equipment are discussed. The article presents technologies available to accomplish closed loop control of materials testing systems in performing standard materials tests and for the development of custom testing applications. It explores the advanced software tools for materials testing. The article includes a description of baseline isothermal fatigue testing, creep-fatigue interaction, and thermomechanical fatigue. The effects of various variables on fatigue resistance and guidelines for fatigue testing are also presented.

This article discusses the fundamental variables involved in fatigue-life assessment, which describe the effects and interaction of material behavior, geometry, and stress history on the life of a component. It compares the safe-life approach with the damage-tolerance approach, which employs the stress-life method of fatigue life assessment. The article examines the behavior of three different metallic materials used in the design and manufacture of structural components: steel, aluminum, and titanium. It also reviews the effects of retardation and spectrum load on component life. The article concludes with case studies of fatigue life assessment from the aerospace industry.

This article discusses two major approaches in estimating fatigue life from the viewpoint of their use as engineering methods. These include the stress-based (S-N curve) approach and strain-based approach. The stress-based and strain-based approaches are compared, with some comments on their manner of use and limitations. The use of the Palmgren-Miner rule for life prediction for variable amplitude loading is also discussed.

The four-point method to estimate fatigue life behavior from tensile properties allows the construction of fatigue life curves from more readily available handbook data. This article provides information on the strain-based four-point method and the stress-based four-point method. The effects of mean stress or strain on transition fatigue life are reviewed. The article describes the determination of four fatigue-life parameters either by curve fitting actual fatigue life test data or approximating the constants from tensile properties. It contains a table that lists the tensile properties of various alloys.

This article offers an overview of fatigue fundamentals, common fatigue terminology, and examples of damage morphology. It presents a summary of relevant engineering mechanics, cyclic plasticity principles, and perspective on the modern design by analysis (DBA) techniques. The article reviews fatigue assessment methods incorporated in international design and post construction codes and standards, with special emphasis on evaluating welds. Specifically, the stress-life approach, the strain-life approach, and the fracture mechanics (crack growth) approach are described. An overview of high-cycle welded fatigue methods, cycle-counting techniques, and a discussion on ratcheting are also offered. A historical synopsis of fatigue technology advancements and commentary on component design and fabrication strategies to mitigate fatigue damage and improve damage tolerance are provided. Finally, the article presents practical fatigue assessment case studies of in-service equipment (pressure vessels) that employ DBA methods.

This article provides information on the nominal compositions of high-carbon bearing steels and carburizing bearing steels. It discusses the bearing fundamentals with emphasis on surface contact, stresses, and fatigue life of bearings. The article describes bearing life prediction using three factors, namely, reliability, material, and application. It analyzes the bearing damage modes and concludes with information on fatigue failure considerations.

In the design of composite structures for durability and damage tolerance, the primary concerns are out-of-plane failures, such as delamination, material degradation associated with environment, stability under compression loading, large degree of scatter in fatigue life, and bearing failure of joints. This article presents an introductory discussion on the fatigue damage process, methodologies assessing fatigue behavior, and life prediction models. It describes the damage mechanisms introduced for a quasi-isotropic laminate under tension-compression fatigue loading. Delamination is a critical issue in fatigue and generally results from high interlaminar normal and shear stresses. The article schematically illustrates the structural elements in which high interlaminar stresses are common. It concludes with a discussion on the classification of fatigue models such as mechanistic or phenomenological, for composite materials under cyclic loading.

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) is the general term given to the material damage accumulation process that occurs with simultaneous changes in temperature and mechanical loading. TMF may couple cyclic inelastic deformation accumulation, temperature-assisted diffusion within the material, temperature-assisted grain-boundary evolution, and temperature-driven surface oxidation, among other things. This article discusses some of the major aspects and challenges of dealing with TMF life prediction. It describes the damage mechanisms of TMF and covers various experimental techniques to promote TMF damage mechanisms and elucidate mechanism coupling interactions. In addition, life modeling in TMF conditions and a practical application of TMF life prediction are presented.

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) refers to the process of fatigue damage under simultaneous changes in temperature and mechanical strain. This article reviews the process of TMF with a practical example of life assessment. It describes TMF damages caused due to two possible types of loading: in-phase and out-of-phase cycling. The article illustrates the ways in which damage can interact at high and low temperatures and the development of microstructurally based models in parametric form. It presents a case study of the prediction of residual life in a turbine casing of a ship through stress analysis and fracture mechanics analyses of the casing.

This article summarizes the various kinds of gear wear, including fatigue, impact fracture, wear, and stress rupture, describes how gear life in service is estimated. It presents the rules concerning lubricants in designing gearing and analyzing failures of gears. The article presents the equations for determining surface durability and life of gears. It tabulates the situations and concepts of pitting failures in gears. The article analyzes some of the more common flaws that affect the life of gear teeth. It reviews the components in the design and structure of each gear and/or gear train that must be considered in conjunction with the teeth.