Effect of Tensile-Mean-Strain on Plastic Strain Energy and Cyclic Response

Abstract

Tests have been conducted to determine the effect of tensile-mean-strain on cyclic properties, low cycle fatigue, and total absorbed plastic strain energy to failure of ASTM A-516 Grade 70 carbon low alloy steel. Stable hysteresis loops at half-life are presented for different strain controlled tests. The cyclic properties were determined by a least squares fit technique. The results of tensile-mean-strain are compared with fully-reversed fatigue tests. The absorbed plastic strain energy per cycle was measured and compared with a proposed relationship for non-Masing material behavior. A relationship of the form Wf=KNfα is found to be a good representation of the data. It is observed that the material tends toward a steady-state condition independent of the level of the mean strain provided the fatigue life is greater than one thousand cycles.