Energy criteria of multiaxial fatigue failure

ABSTRACT This paper contains a review of energy‐based criteria of multiaxial fatigue. The criteria have been divided into three groups, depending on the kind of strain energy density per cycle which is assumed as a damage parameter. They are: (i) criteria based on elastic strain energy for high‐cycle fatigue; (ii) criteria based on plastic strain energy for low‐cycle fatigue; and (iii) criteria based on the sum of plastic and elastic strain energies for both low‐ and high‐cycle fatigue. The criteria which take into account strain energy density in the critical plane seem to be the most promising. In the energy approach to multiaxial fatigue there is an important unsolved problem, i.e. the evaluation of energy, especially plastic strain energy density, from closed stress–strain hysteresis loops under random loadings.