An experimental and numerical study of the factors governing crack growth under cyclic compression

Abstract Cyclic compressive fatigue tests were performed on double-edge-notched specimens of a medium carbon low alloy steel for different stress amplitude under constant mean stress and different mean stress under constant stress amplitude. The crack growth rate, the length of the arrested crack and the shape of the crack front were examined, based on the characteristics of the tensile stress field obtained from finite element analysis. A plot to show the characteristics of the tensile field are proposed and the influence of some key factors, such as stress state, stress ratio and the compressive plastic zone (i.e. minimum compressive stress) on the behavior of the cyclic compressive fatigue were discussed.