Fatigue of structures and materials covers a wide scope of different
topics. The purpose of the present book is to explain these topics, to
indicate how they can be analyzed, and how this can contribute to the
designing of fatigue resistant structures and to prevent structural
fatigue problems in service. Chapter 1 gives a general survey of the
topic with brief comments on the signi?cance of the aspects involved.
This serves as a kind of a program for the following chapters. The
central issues in this book are predictions of fatigue properties and
designing against fatigue. These objectives cannot be realized without a
physical and mechanical understanding of all relevant conditions. In
Chapter 2 the book starts with basic concepts of what happens in the
material of a structure under cyclic loads. It illustrates the large
number of variables which can affect fatigue properties and it provides
the essential background knowledge for subsequent chapters. Different
subjects are presented in the following main parts: - Basic chapters on
fatigue properties and predictions (Chapters 2-8) - Load spectra and
fatigue under variable-amplitude loading (Chapters 9-11) - Fatigue tests
and scatter (Chapters 12 and 13) - Special fatigue conditions (Chapters
14-17) - Fatigue of joints and structures (Chapters 18-20) - Fiber-metal
laminates (Chapter 21) Each chapter presents a discussion of a speci?c
subject.
