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Procedia Engineering 40 (2012) 148 153

Steel Structures and Bridges 2012

Assessment of Fatigue of Structural Steels

J.Djubeka and V. Ilanovskb*
b

a
Homolova 11, 841 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
Department of Metal and Timber Structures, Slovak University of Technology, Radlinskho 11, 813 68, Bratislava, Slovakia

Abstract
After the application of N cycles of stress range , the crack will grow from the initial to critical length according to
the algebraic equation (4). The algebraic equation holds for any material, only if m>2.
For structural ferritic steel, the critical length of crack is a=8mm (10), where the number of fatigue cycles is N=108 and
cyclic stress range =27.5MPa.
Under repeated shear loading the largest membrane and bending stresses are concentrated in the vicinity of corners of the
web.
The stress ranges for 106 cycles (steel and aluminium alloys) and the constants in equation of curve 3.N=constant are
given as follows in the fifth chapter.
2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and review under responsibility of University of ilina, FCE, Slovakia.
Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keywords: planar flaws; ferritic steels; non-ferrous metals; cyclic shear loading; crack in rectangular web

1. Crack growth analysis

The fatigue crack growth rate can be related to the stress intensity factor amplitude K=Kmax- Kmin as

da
dN

A.'K 

E
m
3.10 . steel . 'K steel  .
E
13

Esteel

(1)

where da/dN is the rate of crack propagation, A and m are constants which depend on the material and the
applied conditions, including environment. The stress intensity factor range, K, is a function of the crack

* Tel.: +421-259-274-367
E-mail address: vladimir.ilanovsky@stuba.sk

1877-7058 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2012.07.071

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J.Djubek and V. Ilanovsk / Procedia Engineering 40 (2012) 148 153

geometry factor depending on the orientation and size of the crack surface, cyclic stress range , E elastic
modulus and critical length of the crack a, respectively

'V .Y . S .a

'K

(2)

Since
a

da

ao

a2

1 1
1
. m  m
1
1
m
 1 ao2
a 2
2

(3)

we have

1 1
1
. m  m
1
1
m
 1 ao2
a 2
2

'V .Y . S  .A.N
m

(4)

where the initial length of the crack is considered as ao=10-3m.

The algebraic equation (4) holds for any material, only if m>2.
2. Fatigue crack growth in ferritic steels and non-ferrous metals
2.1. Structured ferritic steels
For structural ferritic steels operating at temperatures up to 20C, with assuming the absence of specific
corrosion fatigue data, the upper bound of the parameter A and the parameter m, are recommended as

m 3

A 2.4 .1012

(5)

For ferritic steels with yielding or steels for which 0.2% proof strength is less 600 MPa and operating in air
or other non-aggressive environments at temperatures up to 100C one should use the parameters

m 3

A 3.1013

(6)

2.2. Fatigue crack growth in non-ferrous metals

The fatigue crack growth rate and stress intensity factor range can be expressed approximately as functions
of K and elastic modulus E. Then, the crack growth constants m=3 and A=3.10-13, corresponding to ferritic
steels, can be utilized for another material with elastic modulus E as m=3 and A=3.10-13.(Esteel/E)m=
3.10-13.(Esteel/E)3. The stress intensity factor range can be modified by K= Ksteel.(E/Esteel).

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3. Critical length of crack

For structural ferritic steel, the parameter A=2.4.10-12 and the term (.)m.A.N is constant and equal to
27.5. Assuming the number of fatigue cycles N=108 and the threshold stress intensity factor amplitude
Kth=5MPa.m1/2 we have

'Kth
'V .Y . S

5
27.5 . Y . S

0.1025

(7)

For structural ferritic steel the equation (4) becomes

1 1
Y

. 3 0,5 
0.5 10 
0.1025

27.5 . Y 3

(8)

or

Y 3  0.709 . Y  2.299 0

(9)

Hence Y=1.142
The critical length of crack is

0.1025
a

1.142

0.00805m

(10)

Assuming N=104 and a= 0.0011 (a>ao), for structural ferritic steel we obtain

1
0.5

1
1


a
a
o

1
0.5

9.81 . Y 3

0.0011
0.001

'V .Y . S  .A.N
3

(11)

Hence
(12)

We have Y=0.66
Comment: if a=ao , then Y=0
4. Cracking of web under cycling shear loading
In the case of crack propagation the stresses are given as follows

Vy

V .J . sin 2 E  cos 2 E 

(13)

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V .1  J . sin E . cos E

W xy

(14)

Hence we obtain

1  J  . tgE

W xy
Vy

(15)

J . tg 2 E  1

For pulsating repeated loading

'V

'V y

'W xy

tgE

1  tg E 

(16)

where =-tg2
It should be said, that for the web under shear loading, we have 0.
The equivalent stresses on the crack surface given by

W xy

W 

Vy

w 2)
wx 2

E.z.S 2 .T
w
m.S .x
n.S . y
. cos
 mn m.n. mn .cos
1  X .A.B
T
A
B

(17)

(18)

express the membrane and bending stresses of simply supported web, with z being the perpendicular distance
from the middle surface xy. The expressions for the stresses y and xy are valid in the vicinity of plate corners.
From (16) we have

Vy
1  tg E
2

W xy
tgE

(19)

or

tg 2 E .W xy  tgE . V y  W xy

(20)

from where

 V y r V y  4.W xy
2

tgE

2.W xy

The positive root is tg=0.951445444.

5. Assessing flaws using quality categories
For structural ferritic steels, each curve can be described by an equation of the form

(21)

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'V 3 .N

constant

(22)

For the number of cycles of the fatigue life N=2.106, the stress range is 110 MPa. Constant in equation of curve
is 2.66.1012.
The other constants on ferritic steel (and of aluminium alloys) are given as follows
Table 1.
Constant in equation (22)
values for steel

Stress range for

105 cycles, steels
[MPa]

Stress range for

105cycles,
aluminium alloys
[MPa]

1.22.1012

230

77

12

220

74

9.26.1011

210

70

11

178

60

2.57.1011

137

47

1.64.1011

118

39

1.02.10
5.64.10

We compare the stress range for 104 cycles with the nominal values of yield strength fy [MPa]
Table 2.
Stress range for 104 cycles [3]

460

440

420

355

275

235

Nominal values of yield strength fy

for hot rolled structural steel [4]

460

440

420

355

275

235

They seem to be about the same.

6. Crack in rectangular web subjected to compression
Longitudinal and transversal edges become free and remain straight in the web plane. The maximum tensile
stress takes place in the middle of longitudinal edges (Fig. 1).
The fatigue strength of web plate y in the middle of longitudinal edges for different web slenderness is given
in Table 3.
Table 3.
Web slenderness B/T

60

70

80

90

100

200

Normal stress range

1.72. y

0.87. y

0.74. y

0.68. y

0.65. y

0.61. y

The normal stress range (as it is different from the shear stress range) intensively depends on the web
slenderness B/T.

J.Djubek and V. Ilanovsk / Procedia Engineering 40 (2012) 148 153

153

Fig. 1. Rectangular web subjected to compression

7. Conclusions
The critical length of crack for the number of cycles N=108 is a=8mm and cyclic stress range =27.5MPa.
If a=ao, the crack geometry factor Y=0.
Under repeated shear loading, the largest membrane and bending stresses are concentrated in the vicinity of
corners of the web.
The maximum tensile stress in the cracked rectangular web subjected to compression takes place in the middle
of longitudinal edges (Table 3.). The normal stress range intensively depends on the web slenderness.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledge support by the Slovak Scientific Grant Agency under contract No.1/1101/12.
References
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]

Djubek, J.: Assessment for fatigue of planar flaws, Building Research Journal Vol.55,No.1-2., 2007.
Guidance of methods for assessing acceptability of flaws in fusion welded structures (1991), PD 6493, BSI Standards
EN 1993-1-9 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. Part 1-9: Fatigue strength of steel structures. CEN Brussels. May 2005
EN 1993-1-1 Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures. Part 1-1: General rules and rules for buildings. CEN Brussels. May 2005