Comparing fatigue life prediction capability of critical plane models using multiaxial test database on 17 materials

Abstract The present study validates recent as well as extensively used critical plane (CP)‐based fatigue life assessment models for 10 ferrous and 7 non‐ferrous materials. Fourteen CP models, including recently reported in‐house developed model, have been analyzed. These models use resolved stresses, strains, strain energy density, and combinations of stresses and strains to identify critical plane and quantify fatigue damage. The loading conditions cover various proportional and non‐proportional axial‐torsion strain paths with different phase shift angles with (or without) mean stress/strain component(s), loading waveforms, and asynchronous axial‐torsion stain paths. The comparative study brought out the goodness of various models by quantifying the extent of scatter and computational time. Some of the strain energy density‐based models (including in‐house model) have been shortlisted, which produced accurate fatigue life assessments. Among the shortlisted models, in‐house model is free from the calculation subjectivities of resultant shear and performs faster fatigue damage calculations.