Constant amplitude and variable load history fatigue test results and predictions for cruciform and lap welds

Cruciform and lap welds were fatigue tested under constant amplitude axial load and SAE Bracket spectrum load conditions. For the cruciform joints, fatigue cracks generally initiate at the root but may initiate at the toe if higher bending stresses are induced by joint distortion. For lap welds, the stress ratio ($\text{R}$) and weld shape are the major factors influencing the fatigue crack initiation site.The fatigue test results were compared with predictions made using an analytical model developed by the authors, and good agreement between experiment and theory was observed. The model for the predictions assumes that the fatigue crack initiation period, which is the number of cycles for the initiation of a fatigue crack and its early growth and coalescence into a dominant fatigue crack, is the main portion of the total fatigue life at long lives.