An energy based criterion for high cycle multiaxial fatigue

Abstract In spite of the great number of high cycle multiaxial fatigue criteria in the literature, none predicts the difference that exists between the endurance limits in traction, four point rotative bending and four point plane bending. An energy based criterion based on a new concept using the strain energy density is proposed in this paper. This new calculation method explains the previous differences by taking into account the volumic distribution of the strain energy density around the considered critical point in fatigue. This method, available now under fully reversed multiaxial loadings, also takes into account the stress state triaxiality. Under combined plane bending and torsion the predictions of the new proposal lead to Gough and Pollard's ellipse quadrant for ductile materials and lead to a curve close to an ellipse are for brittle materials. Under other multiaxial loadings, predictions are always close to an ellipse quadrant dependent on the loading mode. This method has been tested on smooth cylindrical specimens with several materials; calculations are in very good agreement with multiaxial experimental data.