Multiaxial fatigue evaluation of type 316L stainless steel based on critical plane and energy dissipation

Abstract This paper focuses on a comparative study of the critical plane approach (CPA) and the dissipated energy approach (DEA) for multiaxial fatigue evaluation on an AISI 316L steel. It is a follow‐up to our previous study on the development of a DEA model for multiaxial fatigue life prediction. The results demonstrate that the developed DEA model can provide overall better performance compared with some classic CPA models both in terms of prediction accuracy and versatility to multiaxial loading paths. An in‐depth crack mechanism investigation reveals that the multiaxial fatigue life is mostly spent in the formation of micro‐cracks, which exhibits distinct characteristics under the different loading paths examined. This effect can be better considered by using DEA model compared with the CPA models adopted.