Experimental Study on the Multistage Strength Degradation and the Associated Strain Energy Variation of S25C

Abstract

The multistage strength degradation theory, which has recently emerged from studies on the material and structural behaviour of concrete, provides a clear description of the mechanism of fatigue. According to this theory, fatigue is caused by the sporadic sudden change of cracking behaviour in a system under cyclic loading, leading to intermittent strength reduction of the system and its eventual failure. As metal is the main engineering material plagued most by fatigue failure, this newly-established theory needs to be experimentally verified on metal, which is the aim of this study. The obtained test results present strong experimental evidence for the existence of multistage strength degradation processes in metals under cyclic loading, and the strength degradation is clearly triggered by the abrupt change of cracking behaviour. These tests confirm the relevance of the multistage strength degradation theory on metal fatigue, and the engineering implications of the study are discussed.