Fatigue assessment of metallic components under uniaxial and multiaxial variable amplitude loading

In the present paper, the fatigue lifetime of metallic structural components subjected to variable amplitude loading is evaluated by applying 2 different multiaxial high-cycle fatigue criteria. Such criteria, proposed by some of the present authors, are based on the critical plane approach and aim at reducing a given multiaxial stress state to an equivalent uniaxial stress condition. In particular, the procedure employed by both criteria consists of the following 3 steps: (1) definition of the critical plane; (2) counting of loading cycles; and (3) estimation of fatigue damage. Finally, the previous criteria are validated by comparing the theoretical results with experimental data related to smooth metallic specimens subjected to uniaxial and multiaxial variable amplitude loading.