Quantitative thermographic method for fatigue lifeprediction under variable amplitude loading

Quantitative thermographic methodology (QTM), which takes energy dissipa-tion as a fatigue indicator, has been successfully applied to predict the fatiguelife of materials and welded joints under constant amplitude loading. Thisstudy advances the QTM approach for predicting the fatigue life under variableamplitude loading in both low and high cycle fatigue regimes. Experimentaldata, obtained by fatigue tests under variable amplitude loading, were used inorder to apply the developed QTM approach and to demonstrate that it is ableto take into account the loading sequence effect. Good predictions of thefatigue life were achieved.