An iterative technique to assess the fatigue strength of notched components

The present work provides an efficient formulation to assess the growth of short fatigue cracks in metallic components. The proposed technique consists on the iterative combination of a micromechanical short-crack growth model and the Finite Elements Method. The interaction of the crack with the microstructure of the material is evaluated through the dislocations distribution technique. The finite elements analysis of the problem is needed to obtain the stress gradient ahead of the notch. The division of the main problem into simpler scenarios makes the resolution of the method easier since cases with known solutions are required exclusively. The iterative method formulation is properly described and application examples are given in order to show its usefulness.