USING DESIGN S-N CURVES AND DESIGN STRESS SPECTRA FOR PROBABILISTIC FATIGUE LIFE ASSESSMENT OF VEHICLE COMPONENTS

The contribution explains a possibility of using design S-N curves and design stress spectra for probabilistic fatigue life assessment of vehicle components. The design S-N curves can be considered on the basis of either experiments or using some standards. The design stress spectra can be generated theoretically, but it is more appropriate to derive them from the results of representative stress measurement during the characteristic operation of the vehicle. The resulting fatigue life distribution function is then a probabilistic interpretation of the service fatigue life of the vehicle component under consideration.