On how S-N curves for nonproportional loading can be determined from S-N curves for proportional loading – An exemplary evaluation of numerous fatigue tests using scaled normal stresses

The fatigue design of safety–critical components necessitates a delicate balance between sustainability and safety. This study explores the challenge of achieving a balanced design for components subjected to multiaxial loads, focusing on nonproportional loading effects such as an increasing or decreasing fatigue life compared to proportional loading. Existing studies present divergent views on the correlation between nonproportional hardening and fatigue life shift, with some proposing a connection while others treat them independently. It is still unclear which of the research groups may be right. In this article, the effects are considered separately as independent effects, with the focus on the shift in fatigue life. This paper compares various methods of representing fatigue test results under proportional and nonproportional loading. An attempt is made to establish comparability of the tests from different references. One challenge here is, on the one hand, to establish comparability with different stresses on individual material groups and, on the other hand, to consider the second material effect, namely nonproportional hardening. For this purpose, a strength hypothesis is used on the one hand and a plastic correction in combination with a damage parameter is applied on the other. The procedure described in this paper can also be used with other suitable strength hypotheses and damage parameters. In the following, the scaled normal stress hypothesis in combination with the damage parameter according to Smith, Watson and Topper is used as an example. The aim of this paper is to quantitatively describe the shift in fatigue life to be able to include this material effect in a fatigue assessment depending on the material group. A comprehensive database comprising steel, wrought aluminum, cast aluminum, and spheroidal graphite cast iron is utilized to evaluate the shift in fatigue life under nonproportional loading. The database covers various control types, specimen geometries, and amplitude ratios, extending from low cycle to very high cycle fatigue regime. Based on the evaluation, material group-dependent properties can be derived, which can finally be used in a fatigue assessment as an averaged correction of the calculated fatigue life or to predict S-N curves for nonproportional loading based on these for proportional loading.