A.M.P. De Jesus

A probabilistic interpretation of the Miner number for fatigue life prediction

The Miner number M, used as a tool for lifetime prediction of mechanical and structural components in most of the standards related to fatigue design, is generally accepted as representing a damage stage resulting from a linear progression of damage accumulation. Nonetheless, the fatigue and damage approach proposed by Castillo and Fernandez-Canteli, permits us to reject this conventional cliche by relating M to the normalized variable V, which represents percentile curves in the S-N field unequivocally associated to probability of failure. This approach, allowing a probabilistic interpretation of the Miner rule, can be applied to fatigue design of mechanical and structural components subjected to variable amplitude loading. The results of an extensive test program on concrete specimens under compressive constant and load spectra, carried out elsewhere, are used. A parallel calculation of the normalized variable V and the Miner number M is performed throughout the damage progression due to loading allowing probabilities of failure to be assigned to any value of the current Miner number. It is found that significant probabilities of failure, say P=0.05, are attained for even low values of M, thus evidencing the necessity of a new definition of the safety coefficient of structural or machine components when the Miner rule is considered. The experimental and analytical probability distributions of the resulting Miner numbers are compared and discussed, the latter still providing a non- conservative prediction in spite of the enhancement. A possible correction is analyzed.

Modelling probabilistic fatigue crack propagation rates for a mild structural steel

A class of fatigue crack growth models based on elastic–plastic stress–strain histories at the crack tip region and local strain-life damage models have been proposed in literature. The fatigue crack growth is regarded as a process of continuous crack initializations over successive elementary material blocks, which may be governed by smooth strain-life damage data. Some approaches account for the residual stresses developing at the crack tip in the actual crack driving force assessment, allowing mean stresses and loading sequential effects to be modelled. An extension of the fatigue crack propagation model originally proposed by Noroozi et al. (2005) to derive probabilistic fatigue crack propagation data is proposed, in particular concerning the derivation of probabilistic da/dN-?K-R fields. The elastic-plastic stresses at the vicinity of the crack tip, computed using simplified formulae, are compared with the stresses computed using an elasticplastic finite element analyses for specimens considered in the experimental program proposed to derive the fatigue crack propagation data. Using probabilistic strain-life data available for the S355 structural mild steel, probabilistic crack propagation fields are generated, for several stress ratios, and compared with experimental fatigue crack propagation data. A satisfactory agreement between the predicted probabilistic fields and experimental data is observed.

Probabilistic fatigue S-N curves derivation for notched components

Europe has a number of ancient riveted metallic bridges, constructed during the second half of the 19th century up to the middle of the 20th century, which are still in operation. In this paper, a unified approach is presented to generate probabilistic S-N curves to be applied to structural components, accounting for uncertainties in material properties. The approach is particularly demonstrated for a plate with a circular hole, made of puddle iron from the Portuguese Eiffel Bridge. This paper presents an extension of the local strain-based fatigue crack propagation model proposed by Noroozi et al. The latter model is applied to derive the probabilistic fatigue crack propagation field (p-S-Np field). The probabilistic fatigue crack initiation field (p-S-Ni field) is determined using a notch elastoplastic approach, to calculate the fatigue failure of the first elementary material block ahead of the notch root.

Assessment of the Fatigue Behaviour of Friction Stir Welded Joints: Aluminium Alloy 6082-T6

A study on the fatigue behaviour of friction stir butt welds of 3mm thick 6082-T6 aluminium alloy was carried out. Monotonic tensile and cyclic tests of welded joints and base material were performed to understand the influence of the welding process on the static and fatigue properties. Microhardness profiles were measured and fatigue crack growth curves were determined for cracks growing in different locations of the weldments. Friction stir material exhibited lower strength and ductility properties than the base material. However, an enhanced crack propagation resistance is observed.

Fatigue crack propagation prediction of a pressure vessel mild steel based on a strain energy density model

Fatigue crack growth (FCG) rates have traditionally been formulated from fracture mechanics, whereas fatigue crack initiation has been empirically described using stress-life or strain-life methods. More recently, there has been efforts towards the use of the local stress-strain and similitude concepts to formulate fatigue crack growth rates. A new model has been developed which derives stress-life, strain-life and fatigue crack growth rates from strain energy density concepts. This new model has the advantage to predict an intrinsic stress ratio effect of the form ?ar=(?amp)?·(?max )(1-?), which is dependent on the cyclic stress-strain behaviour of the material. This new fatigue crack propagation model was proposed by Huffman based on Walkerlike strain-life relation. This model is applied to FCG data available for the P355NL1 pressure vessel steel. A comparison of the experimental results and the Huffman crack propagation model is made.

A probabilistic approach for multiaxial fatigue criteria

Models proposed to study the multiaxial fatigue damage phenomenon generally lack probabilistic interpretation due to their deterministic form. This implies failure compulsory happening at the plane exhibiting the maximum damage value, whereas the remaining planes are disregarded. Nevertheless, the random orientation of the predominant defect evidences the possibility of failure being initiated as a function of the predominant defect presence without requiring, necessarily, maximum values of the damage parameter, which emphasizes the need of introducing probabilistic concepts into the failure prediction analysis. In this paper, a probabilistic model is presented that enables the failure probability to be found for any selected plane orientation by considering the damage gradient as a parameter for both proportional and non-proportional loading. The applicability of the model is elucidated by means of an example. Assuming the cdf for the local failure of the material to be known, the probability of failure is calculated for a cross shaped specimen in which shift between the principal stresses sigma xx and sigma yy ranges from 0o to 180o.

Mechanical behaviour of wood T-joints. Experimental and numerical investigation

Results of a double-shear single-dowel wood connection tested under monotonic quasi-static compression loading are presented and discussed in this paper. The wood used in this study was a pine wood, namely the Pinus pinaster species, which is one of the most important Portuguese species. Each connection (specimen) consists of three wood members: a centre member, loaded in compression along the parallel-tograin direction and two simply supported side members, loaded along the perpendicular-to-grain direction (Tconnection). The load transfer between wood members was assured by means of a steel dowel, which is representative of the most common joining technique applied for structural details in wooden structures. The complete load-slip behaviour of the joint is obtained until failure. In particular, the values of the stiffness, the ultimate loads and the ductility were evaluated. Additionally, this investigation proposed non-linear 3D finite element models to simulate the T-joint behaviour. The interaction between the dowel and the wood members was simulated using contact finite elements. A plasticity model, based on Hill’s criterion, was used to simulate the joint ductility and cohesive damage modelling was applied to simulate the brittle failure modes (splitting) observed in the side members of the joint. The simulation procedure allowed a satisfactory description of the non-linear behaviour of the T-joint including the collapse prediction.

Machinability of an Aluminium Cast Alloy Using PCD Tools for Turning

Chip control is mandatory for automated turning operations. Machining of cast aluminium alloys with high Silicon content challenges conventional cemented carbide inserts. Polycrystalline diamond (PCD) inserts are alternatives to improve tool lives, even though chip breakers are challenging to produce and relatively few options are made available by tool manufacturers. This research consists of machinability studies, under dry longitudinal turning, performed for the AlSi9Cu3 aluminium alloy, produced by permanent mould casting process. The influence of different chip breaker geometries of PCD cutting inserts on cutting forces, power consumption, specific cutting pressure, chip shape and surface roughness is evaluated. Besides two chip breaker geometries (finishing and roughing geometries), a flat rake face insert is also considered. Generally, the flat rake face insert resulted in long chips (e.g. ribbon chips) for the tested conditions. The tested chip breaker geometries were effective in controlling the chip geometry for the range of recommended cutting parameters. In general, the cutting forces increase with the use of chip breaker as compared to the flat rake insert. However, the use of the roughing chip breaker for roughing cutting conditions resulted in lower cutting forces/power consumption which demonstrates the optimization of the chip breaker geometry for such operation.

Comparison Between Cemented Carbide and PCD Tools on Machinability of a High Silicon Aluminum Alloy

The high content of silicon of aluminum casting alloys challenges the tool life of conventional cemented carbide inserts, and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools appear as an interesting material to machine these alloys because they improve substantially the durability of cutting tools and consequently the productivity of machining. However, the surface roughness, cutting forces and chip morphology are equally important factors in machining evaluation. Therefore, an experimental study is performed aiming at comparing the performance of cemented carbide and PCD tools taking into account cutting forces, surface roughness and chip morphology, under dry longitudinal turning, performed for the AlSi9Cu3 alloy produced by permanent mold casting process. Different chip breaker geometries were also considered, and their influence on the referred parameters was also investigated. Analysis of variance was employed to study the different contributions of inserts, cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and their interactions in machinability performance. The results show low cutting forces and better results for surface roughness for uncoated cemented carbide tools, with simpler chip breakers and flat rake face PCD tool, but an efficient chip control was obtained for inserts with small grooves with high cutting forces and power consumption. Nevertheless, the feed rate and depth of cut have the highest influence on the machinability performance of the alloy under investigation.

Statistical analysis of fatigue crack propagation data of materials from ancient portuguese metallic bridges

In Portugal there is a number of old metallic riveted railway and highway bridges that were erected by the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, and are still in operation, requiring inspections and remediation measures to overcome fatigue damage. Residual fatigue life predictions should be based on actual fatigue data from bridge materials which is scarce due to the material specificities. Fatigue crack propagation data of materials from representative Portuguese riveted bridges, namely the Pinhao and Luiz I road bridges, the Viana road/railway bridge, the Fao road bridge and the Trezoi railway bridge were considered in this study. The fatigue crack growth rates were correlated using the Paris’s law. Also, a statistical analysis of the pure mode I fatigue crack growth (FCG) data available for the materials from the ancient riveted metallic bridges is presented. Based on this analysis, design FCG curves are proposed and compared with BS7910 standard proposal, for the Paris region, which is one important fatigue regime concerning the application of the Fracture Mechanics approaches, to predict the remnant fatigue life of structural details.