A new method for analysis of part-elliptical surface cracks in structures subjected to fatigue loading (original) (raw)

This paper presents a new analytical method for the analysis of fatigue growth of surface cracks in various structural components. The method is based on a governing equation describing the front evolution of surface cracks of elliptical and part-elliptical shapes. This method avoids the need for various numerical schemes for the calculation of the incremental crack front advance, which were used in all previous studies. Plasticity-induced crack closure models can also be incorporated into the method or these models can be deducted from a correlation of experimental data and the method predictions. When the plastic constraint conditions change significantly along the crack front, the implementation of the plasticity induced crack closure models can significantly improve the accuracy of fatigue life predictions. The method is validated against previous theoretical and experimental studies.