Fatigue Failure

It has been recognized that a metal subjected

to a repetitive or fluctuating stress will fail at a
stress much lower than that required to cause
failure on a single application of load. Failures
occurring under conditions of dynamic loading
are called fatigue failures.
Fatigue failure is characterized by three stages
Crack Initiation
Crack Propagation
Final Fracture
 Jack hammer component,
shows no yielding before
fracture.

Crack initiation site

Fracture zone
Propagation zone, striation
VW crank shaft fatigue failure due to cyclic bending and torsional stresses

Propagation
zone, striations

Crack initiation site Fracture area

3
928 Porsche timing pulley

Crack started at the fillet 4

 Fracture surface of a failed bolt. The
fracture surface exhibited beach marks,
which is characteristic of a fatigue failure.

1.0-in. diameter steel pins from

agricultural equipment.
Material; AISI/SAE 4140 low
allow carbon steel
 bicycle crank spider arm

This long term fatigue crack in a high quality component took a

considerable time to nucleate from a machining mark between the spider
arms on this highly stressed surface. However once initiated propagation
was rapid and accelerating as shown in the increased spacing of the 'beach
marks' on the surface caused by the advancing fatigue crack.
 Crank shaft

Gear tooth failure

MAE dept., SJSU 7

 Hawaii, Aloha Flight 243, a Boeing 737, an upper part of the plane's cabin
area rips off in mid-flight. Metal fatigue was the cause of the failure.

i MAE dept., SJSU 8

 Fracture Surface Characteristics

Mode of fracture Typical surface characteristics

Ductile Cup and Cone
Dimples
Dull Surface
Inclusion at the bottom of the dimple

Brittle Intergranular Shiny

Grain Boundary cracking

Brittle Transgranular Shiny

Cleavage fractures
Flat

Fatigue Beachmarks
Striations (SEM)
Initiation sites
Propagation zone
Final fracture zone

i
 Fatigue Failure Type of Fluctuating Stresses
a = max
max = - min

Alternating stress
max min
a = 2
min = 0
Mean stress
a = m = max / 2 max + min
m = 2
 Fatigue Failure, S-N Curve

Test specimen geometry for R.R. Moore

rotating beam machine. The surface is
polished in the axial direction. A constant
bending load is applied.

Typical testing apparatus, pure bending

Motor

Load

Rotating beam machine applies fully reverse bending stress

The standard machine operates at an
adjustable speed of 500 RPM to 10,000
RPM. At the nominal rate of 10,000
RPM, the R. R. Moore machine Bending moment capacity
20 in-lb to 200 in-lb
completes 600,000 cycles per hour,
14,400,000 cycles per day.
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Fatigue Failure, S-N Curve

N < 103 N > 103

Finite life Infinite life

Se

Se = endurance limit of the specimen

 Relationship Between Endurance Limit
and Ultimate Strength
Steel
Steel
0.5Sut Sut 200 ksi (1400 MPa)
Se = 100 ksi Sut > 200 ksi
700 MPa Sut > 1400 MPa

Cast iron Cast iron

0.4Sut Sut < 60 ksi (400 MPa)

Se = 24 ksi Sut 60 ksi
160 MPa Sut < 400 MPa
 Relationship Between Endurance Limit and
Ultimate Strength
Aluminum
Aluminum alloys
0.4Sut Sut < 48 ksi (330 MPa)
Se = 19 ksi Sut 48 ksi
130 MPa Sut 330 MPa

For N = 5x108 cycle

Copper alloys
Copper alloys
0.4Sut Sut < 40 ksi (280 MPa)
Se = 14 ksi Sut 40 ksi
100 MPa Sut 280 MPa
For N = 5x108 cycle
Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit
For materials exhibiting a knee in the S-N curve at 106 cycles
S = endurance limit of the specimen (infinite life > 106)
e

Se = endurance limit of the actual component (infinite life > 106)

S Se

103 106 N

For materials that do not exhibit a knee in the S-N curve, the infinite
life taken at 5x108 cycles

Sf = fatigue strength of the specimen (infinite life > 5x108)

Sf = fatigue strength of the actual component (infinite life > 5x108)

S Sf

103 5x108 N
 Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit

Se = Cload Csize Csurf Ctemp Crel (Se)

or
Sf = Cload Csize Csurf Ctemp Crel (Sf)

Load factor, Cload (page 326, Nortons 3rd ed.)

Pure bending Cload = 1

Pure axial Cload = 0.7
Pure torsion Cload = 1 if von Mises stress is used, use
0.577 if von Mises stress is NOT used.
Combined loading Cload = 1

fi
Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit

Size factor, Csize (p. 327, Nortons 3rd ed.)

Larger parts fail at lower stresses than smaller parts. This is

mainly due to the higher probability of flaws being present in
larger components.

For rotating solid round cross section

d 0.3 in. (8 mm) Csize = 1

0.3 in. < d 10 in. Csize = .869(d)-0.097
8 mm < d 250 mm Csize = 1.189(d)-0.097

If the component is larger than 10 in., use Csize = .6

 Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit
For non rotating components, use the 95% area approach to calculate
the equivalent diameter. Then use this equivalent diameter in the
previous equations to calculate the size factor.

A95 = (/4)[d2 (.95d)2] = .0766 d2

d95 = .95d d A95
dequiv = ( )1/2
0.0766

Solid or hollow non-rotating parts Rectangular parts

dequiv = .37d dequiv = .808 (bh)1/2

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Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit

I beams and C channels

 Correction Factors for Specimens Endurance Limit
surface factor, Csurf (p. 328-9, Nortons 3rd ed.)

The rotating beam test specimen has a polished surface. Most

components do not have a polished surface. Scratches and
imperfections on the surface act like a stress raisers and reduce
the fatigue life of a part. Use either the graph or the equation with
the table shown below.

Csurf = A (Sut)b

Ken Youssefi MAE dept., SJSU 21