Fatigue Failure

 Due to reversed, repeated, alternating or fluctuating stresses

 Basic mechanism of fatigue
 Fatigue failure begins with a minute (usually microscopic) crack
at a critical area of high local stress (quite often at a point of
discontinuity such as a keyway, threads, surface scratches etc.)

 Once a crack is developed, the stress concentration effect

becomes greater and the crack progresses more rapidly

 As the stressed area decreases in size, the stress increases in

magnitude and the remaining area fails suddenly

 The zone of sudden fracture is very similar to the fracture of a

brittle material

 Fatigue failure can occur at stress levels far below the

conventionally determined yield point or elastic limit
 Basic mechanism of fatigue (Contd…)
 Region of a fracture surface formed during crack
propagation may result in a characteristic pattern
of concentric rings
 These beach marks and striations are formed spreading
over the smooth region of the fracture surface
 These marks radiate outwards from the point of initiation
of the failure

 Beach marks (also known as clamshell pattern)

are of macroscopic dimensions and may be
observed with the unaided eye

 These markings are found for components that

experienced interruptions during the crack
propagation stage

 Each beach mark band represents a period of

time over which crack growth occurred
 Basic mechanism of fatigue (Contd…)
 On the other hand, fatigue striations are
microscopic in size and subject to
observation with the electron microscope
(either TEM or SEM)

 Relatively widely spaced striations are

caused by variations in the stress
amplitude during the life of the component

 On a much finer level, a large number of

striations may be sometimes seen
 The width of each striation here is equal to
the distance by which the crack grows
during one cycle
 Fatigue Testing Machine
 Standard R.R. Moore rotating-beam fatigue-testing machine is used
 Standard specimen diameter is 0.3 inches. Large radius of curvature
prevents stress concentration

 Motor speed is usually 1750 rpm

 Various weights are used to give the desired stress levels
 The number of cycles to failure is indicated by a revolution counter
 Test Procedure
 A constant bending load is applied, and the number of revolutions
(stress reversals) of the beam required for failure is recorded

 The first test is conducted at a stress just below the ultimate tensile
stress of the material

 Second test is done at a lower stress

 The process is repeated and the results are plotted as an S-N

diagram on log-log paper

 In the case of steels, a knee occurs in the graph, and beyond this
knee, failure will not occur for any number of cycles

 The strength corresponding to this knee is called endurance limit

or fatigue limit
An S-N diagram for Chromium Molybdinum Steel
Estimate of endurance limit
 Low cycle fatigue
 Stress reversals upto about 103 cycles
 Knowledge of low cycle fatigue is desirable for the design of short-
lived devices such as missiles
 High cycle faligue
 Region beyond 103 cycles
 A straight line can be fitted for logS-logN curve joining 0.8Sut at
103 cycles to S'e at 106 cycles
 Accordingly, the fatigue strength corresponding to any number of
cycles can be easily obtained
 Endurance-limit modifying factors are to be added to take into
account the effects of surface finish, size, type of loading etc.
 Stress concentration factors are also modified using notch

S e = k a kb kc ... S e′
sensitivity factor
 Fatigue Strength
under fluctuating
stresses

 Both the mean stress and the

stress amplitude are varied and
the results are plotted

 Modified Goodman
diagram
Another useful fatigue diagram
 Estimation of Design Stresses
With the factor of safety also being considered, the equation for the
Soderberg line can be given as:
1 Sm Sv
= +
N S y Se
 Estimation of Design Stresses (Contd)
 For ductile materials in tension or compression,
1 Sm Sv K f
= +
N S y S e′ k1k 2 k3
where, Sm = mean normal stress
Sv = variable normal stress
Sy = yield point in tension or compression (with the same sign as Sm)
S′e = endurance limit of the material in reverse bending
k1 = correction factor for type of loading other than reversed bending
= 0.7 for reversed axial loading
= 0.577 for reversed torsional loading
k2 = size correction factor = 0.85 for parts with size, 12.5 to 50 mm
=0.75 for parts with size, 50 to 100 mm
= 0.7 for parts with size, 100 to 200 mm
k3 = surface correction factor = 1.0 for polished surfaces
= 0.9 for ground surfaces
= 0.8 to 0.85 for machined surfaces
Augmented Modified Goodman Diagram
 Representative S-N Curves

Note that non-ferrous materials generally do not exhibit an endurance limit

 Example - 1
 The part shown in the figure is made of 20 Mn 2 steel. Bending
moment fluctuates from 1 kNm to 4 kNm. The surfaces are
machined. Find the factor of safety (a) if infinite life is expected
(b) if a life of 5×105 cycles is expected.
 Estimation of Design Stresses (Contd)
 For ductile materials in tension or compression,
1 Sm Sv K f
= +
N S y S e′ k1k 2 k3
where, Sm = mean normal stress
Sv = variable normal stress
Sy = yield point in tension or compression (with the same sign as Sm)
S′e = endurance limit of the material in reverse bending
k1 = correction factor for type of loading other than reversed bending
= 0.7 for reversed axial loading
= 0.577 for reversed torsional loading
k2 = size correction factor = 0.85 for parts with size, 12.5 to 50 mm
=0.75 for parts with size, 50 to 100 mm
= 0.7 for parts with size, 100 to 200 mm
k3 = surface correction factor = 1.0 for polished surfaces
= 0.9 for ground surfaces
= 0.8 to 0.85 for machined surfaces
 Combined variable normal and shear stresses
S y Sv K f
 Equivalent (static) normal stress = S eqn = Sm +
S e′ k1k 2 k3
S ys S vs K f
 Equivalent (static) shear stress = S eqs = S ms +
S e′ k1k 2 k3
Put load factor, k1= 0.577 for equivalent (static) shear stress and
use Sys = 0.577 Sy for ductile materials

 Apply Tresca criterion, treating the above equivalent stresses as static :

2
 S eqn  S ys
τ max =   + S eqs =
2
; For this equation, use Sys = 0.5Sy
 2  N
 Example - 2
 A steel cantilever member as shown in figure is subjected to a transverse load at its end
that varies from 45N (up) to 135N (down) and a torque varying from 10Nm to 25Nm.
Determine the required diameter, d, for infinite life using a factor of safety of 2.0. The
strength properties of the material are,
Ultimate strength in tension = 550 MPa
Yield strength = 470 MPa
Endurance limit = 275 MPa
The material has a notch sensitivity factor of 0.7
 Example - 2
 A steel cantilever member as shown in figure is subjected to a transverse load at its end that varies
from 45 N (up) to 135 N (down) and a torque varying from 10 Nm to 25 Nm. Determine the required
diameter, d, for infinite life using a factor of safety of 2.0. The strength properties of the material are,
Ultimate strength in tension = 550 MPa
Yield strength = 470 MPa
Endurance limit = 275 MPa
The material has a notch sensitivity factor of 0.7
 Example - 2
 A steel cantilever member as shown in figure is subjected to a transverse load at its end that varies
from 45 N (up) to 135 N (down) and a torque varying from 10 Nm to 25 Nm. Determine the required
diameter, d, for infinite life using a factor of safety of 2.0. The strength properties of the material are,
Ultimate strength in tension = 550 MPa
Yield strength = 470 MPa
Endurance limit = 275 MPa
The material has a notch sensitivity factor of 0.7
 Example - 2
 A steel cantilever member as shown in figure is subjected to a transverse load at its end that varies
from 45 N (up) to 135 N (down) and a torque varying from 10 Nm to 25 Nm. Determine the required
diameter, d, for infinite life using a factor of safety of 2.0. The strength properties of the material are,
Ultimate strength in tension = 550 MPa
Yield strength = 470 MPa
Endurance limit = 275 MPa
The material has a notch sensitivity factor of 0.7
 Class Assignment - 3
 Bearing reactions R1 and R2 are exerted on the shaft shown in the
figure, which rotates at 1500 r.p.m. and supports a 45 kN bending
force. Use C40 steel as the material. Specify the diameter d using
a design factor of n = 1.6 for a life of 2 hours. The surfaces are
machined.