Very High Cycle Fatigue Properties of Welded Joints under High Frequency Loading

Very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) properties of welded joints under ultrasonic fatigue loading have been investigated for titanium alloy (TI-6Al-4V) and bridge steel (Q345). Ultrasonic fatigue tests of base metal and welded joints were carried out in ambient air at room temperature at a stress ratio R=-1. It was observed that the fatigue strength of welded joints reduced by 50-60% as compared to the base metal. The S-N fatigue curves in the range of 107~109 cycles of base metal and welded joints for both materials exhibited the characteristic of continually decreasing type. The fatigue failure still occurred after 107 cycles of loading, and the fatigue limit in traditional does not exist. The fatigue facture mainly located in the weld metal region at low cycle fatigue range, but in the fusion area in HCF and VHCF. Analysis of fracture surfaces analyzed by SEM revealed that the fatigue cracks initiated from welding defects such as pores, cracks and inclusions.