On the accuracy of estimating fatigue notch factors

Abstract

The fatigue notch factor is the quotient of the nominal stress endurance limits of unnotched and notched specimens. It represents the notch sensitivity of a material or a component under cyclic loading. For example, the fatigue notch factor is used in analytical strength assessments with nominal stress and is also suitable as a quality criterion for materials and entire components. On the one hand, an analytical approach to rate the reliability of the fatigue notch factor is derived assuming a log-normal distribution for the population of the endurance limits of the unnotched and notched specimens. The analytical approach provides the best achievable result and can be used to rate real experiments. On the other hand, the staircase method, which is often used to determine endurance limits, is simulated using Monte Carlo simulations. From the simulations, information about the reliability of the real test can be gathered, which can be compared to the analytical approach. In conclusion, in this paper the reliability of the fracture of two originally log-normally distributed random variables each used in an own staircase test is examined. The result is compared to an analytical approach. In former articles the scope has only been on single test series, the examination of error propagation, e.g, by using the staircase method and building the fracture of the two results afterwards, is missing in former examinations. The staircase method is a procedure to estimate fatigue notch factors with reliabilities comparable to those of the analytical approach. To increase the number of evaluable tests, runouts should be reused.