3rd International Conference on Material and Component Performance under Variable Amplitude Loading, VAL2015 On the use of NASGRO software to estimate fatigue crack growth under variable amplitude loading in aluminium alloy 2024-T351

Abstract This work uses the strip yield model implemented in NASGRO software to estimate fatigue life under random loading. Simulated results were compared with experimental data previously obtained by the authors using different random loading processes in Al2024-T351. Test data under constant amplitude loading from different authors have been considered i n order to characterize thematerial behaviour and fit the model parameters. The two different strip yield model implemented in NASGRO software were considered. The ratio of simulated to experimental fatigue lives was between 0.71 and 1.52 considering all options and between 0.87 and 1.12 with the best option. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the Czech Society for Mechanics. Keywords: Random loading; strip yield model; NASGRO software; aluminium alloy 2024-T351 1. Introduction In many cases of fatigue design of mechanical components, especially those whose design is based on damage tolerance, having reliable crack growth prediction tools is v ital. During the past 30 years, many different models have been proposed to predict the behaviour of cracks under irregular or random loads. An important group are the models of plasticity induced crack closure or strip yield models (SYM). Several software programs, such as FASTRAN [1]