Application of a microstructural model for predicting notch fatigue limits under mode I loading

Microstructural fracture mechanics provides a description of short crack growth that accounts for the interaction between the crack and microstructural barriers. An application to notched components subjected to mode I loading is presented here. The techniques described are applied to a circular notch. The fatigue limit has been predicted for different materials and a wide range of hole radii. The predictions are quite close to the experimental results. Discussion and comparison of the results with those calculated with other methods are presented.