A weight function method for multiaxial low-cycle fatigue life prediction under variable amplitude loading

A weight function method based on strain parameters is proposed to determine the critical plane in low-cycle fatigue region under both constant and variable amplitude tension–torsion loadings. The critical plane is defined by the weighted mean maximum absolute shear strain plane. Combined with the critical plane determined by the proposed method, strain-based fatigue life prediction models and Wang-Brown’s multiaxial cycle counting method are employed to predict the fatigue life. The experimental critical plane orientation and fatigue life data under constant and variable amplitude tension–torsion loadings are used to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method is appropriate to determine the critical plane under both constant and variable amplitude loadings.