On the use of the cumulative strain energy density for fatigue life assessment in advanced high-strength steels

In this paper, the applicability of the cumulative strain energy density is explored as a fatigue indicator parameter for advanced high-strength steels subjected to strain-controlled conditions. Firstly, the cyclic stress–strain responses of nine steels, selected from three multiphase families, encompassing different elemental compositions and different heat treatment routes, were studied. Then, the predictive capabilities of the proposed model were compared with those of other strain-based and energy-based approaches. It was found that the cumulative strain energy density decreases as the strain amplitude increaes. It was also found that the cumulative strain energy density and the fatigue life can be related via a power function. In addition, the relationship between the cumulative strain energy and the fatigue life was not significantly affected by the elemental composition or the heat treatment route. Finally, the fatigue lives computed through the cumulative strain energy density concept were close to those of the other models but were slightly more conservative.