Life estimation model of a cantilevered beam subjected to complex random vibration

An analytic methodology was developed to predict the fatigue life of a structure experiencing stationary, Gaussian random vibration excitation. This method allows the estimation of fatigue life using a frequency domain method, where only the input power spectral density and damping factor are required. The methodology uses linear elastic fracture mechanics for fatigue crack propagation and accounts for the frequency shifting that occurs due to fatigue crack evolution. Good results have been obtained comparing the analytic model to both finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results, for mild-steel cantilever beams.