Predicting Fatigue Crack Growth and Fatigue Life Under Variable Amplitude Loading

A probabilistic approach to the description of fatigue crack growth and fatigue life estimation of a component subjected to variable amplitude loading is presented in the paper. The core of the model is a differential equation originated from the Paris formula. In order to consider the influence of overload-underload cycles existing in an exploitive load spectrum on crack growth rate for an aeronautical aluminum alloy sheet, the modified Willenborg retardation model was applied.