Cumulative Fatigue Damage With Random Loading

Abstract

A general concept of the accumulation of fatigue damage is applied where stress amplitude is a random time function with a specified amplitude distribution. A differential equation relating damage accumulation to the amplitude distribution of stress is derived. This equation is applicable to both continuous and discrete distributions. Solutions of the equation are used to predict life under random loading on the basis of constant amplitude S-N data. Such predictions are compared for both continuous and discrete stress amplitude distributions and found in better over-all agreement with the data than comparable predictions by the linear rule.