Application of plain fretting test to extract fatigue properties of materials

Most structures subjected to fretting fatigue loading are computed using conventional fatigue data. This strategy involves different limitations. Indeed, it requires a large quantity of material to machine the fatigue specimens, the bulk material properties are usually different from the surface ones and above all it does not reproduce the stress gradient generated by contact like fretting fatigue. In this work we consider an original strategy which consists of analysis of the crack nucleation threshold and the crack arrest condition observed on plain fretting test. By computing the test loading state related to these threshold conditions and considering a reverse identification strategy, crack nucleation and crack arrest fatigue properties related to the contact stress configuration can then be extracted.