High-cycle fatigue threshold behaviors in notched plates

This article investigates the threshold behavior of fatigue crack emanating from an elliptical hole. The theoretical framework accounts for the presence of plastic zone ahead of the crack tip and the crack-closure development. To predict the threshold behavior, both the crack deriving force and the resisting force are considered. The crack deriving force (i.e. applied stress intensity factor) is calculated based on the plane elasticity theory and linear-elastic fracture mechanics. Based on the proposed computational framework, the fatigue limit, the length of non-propagating crack and the notch-size effect are simulated in a systematic manner. By conducting a series of comparisons between the theoretical predictions and the available experimental data, the predictive capability of the proposed method is examined and discussed.