100
A steady or static stress is not the same as the mean stress. In fact, it may have any value between
min and max. The steady state exists because of a fixed load or preload applied to the part, and it
is usually independent of the varying portion of the load.
Notes:
For simple loading, it is acceptable to reduce the endurance limit by either dividing the un-
notched specimen endurance limit by Kf or multiplying the reversing stress by Kf (More safe
because it gives less life cycles).
For combined loading, which may involve more than one value of fatigue-concentration factor,
the stresses are multiplied by Kf.
In the case of absence of a notch, ??????
� and ??????
� are equal to the nominal stresses ??????
�� and ??????
��
induced by loads Fa and Fm, respectively.
In the case of presence of a notch they are ??????
� ??????
�� and ??????
� ??????
��, respectively, as long as the
material remains without plastic strain. In other words, the fatigue stress concentration factor
??????
� is applied to both components.
When the steady stress component is high enough to induce localized notch yielding, the designer
has a problem. The material properties ( Sy and Sut) are new and difficult to quantify. The nominal
mean stress method (set ??????
�=??????
� ??????
�� ��� ??????
�=??????
�� ) gives roughly comparable results to the
residual stress method, but both are approximations. For the purposes of this course, for ductile
materials in fatigue, the steady stress component stress-concentration factor Kfm as:
??????
��=
{
??????
� ??????
�|??????
�????????????,�|<�
�
�
�−??????
�??????
��
|??????
��|
??????
�|??????
�????????????,�|>�
�
� ??????
�|??????
�????????????,�−??????
�??????�,�|>��
�
(�−��)
To avoid the localized plastic strain at a notch, set ??????
�= ??????
�??????
��, and ??????
�= ??????
�??????
��.
If the plastic strain at a notch cannot be avoided, then use Eqs. (6–37); or conservatively, set ??????
�=
??????
�??????
��, and use ??????
� �= � , that is, ??????
�= ??????
��.
6–12 Fatigue Failure Criteria for Fluctuating Stress: