Thermomechanical Model and Experimental Analysis of Progressive Fatigue Damage in Steel Specimens

This paper presents a thermomechanical model to predict the surface temperature evolution of a specimen during a fatigue test. In particular, the aim of this theoretical approach is to evaluate the amount of accumulated fatigue damage in the material, on the basis of its temperature growth indicated as damage parameter. To do that, a thermomechanical model has been developed and applied to a unidimensional steel specimen, with rectangular cross-section, fatigued by alternate axial stresses. Temperature variation along the thickness of the specimen has been disregarded. Thermomechanical differential equation has been integrated by applying both initial and boundary conditions. Temperature evolution of steel specimens measured during fatigue tests by means of thermographic techniques has been compared to the corresponding predicted by the theoretical model.