Fatigue crack initiation prediction using phantom nodes-based extended finite element method for S355 and S690 steel grades

The assessment of fatigue crack initiation behavior of steel structures is essential and important especially to improve the application of high strength steel in construction. For a complete understanding of fatigue endurance, it is necessary to combine the phenomenological damage model with finite element numerical approach. In this paper, phantom nodes-based extended finite element method is used to predict the fatigue crack initiation of steel material, considering a prediction by XFEM of coupon tests made of steel grades S355 and S690. A user-defined fatigue damage initiation subroutine based on Smith, Watson, and Topper (SWT) damage model combined with non-linear isotropic/kinematic cyclic hardening model is implemented to predict fatigue crack initiation. The proposed method is successfully validated based on fatigue coupon test results of both steel grades, S355 and S690.