PSI - Issue 75

Laurent Dastugue et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 75 (2025) 334–343 Laurent Dastugue et al. / Structural Integrity Procedia (2025)

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Fig. 2. Classical finite element analysis design workflow.

While this workflow is robust for evaluating structural performance under static or dynamic loads, it is not sufficient for assessing durability under cyclic loading conditions. Fatigue analysis, which evaluates the progressive and localized structural damage due to repetitive loading, requires an additional step that is not integrated into the traditional FEA loop.

Fig. 3. Additional step fatigue analysis.

Currently, fatigue analysis is typically conducted after the standard FEA process. Often this additional step is only performed after several iterations of the loop. This is because it requires the use of independent fatigue solvers, which are often separate software tools that are not fully integrated into the main FEA environment (see fig 3). This fifth step involves importing stress or strain results from the FEA solver into the fatigue analysis software to perform life estimation and damage calculations. This approach introduces several challenges: • Data exchange between the FEA solver and the fatigue solver is generally file-based, which can lead to large file sizes, especially for complex models or long-time histories. • The workflow can become fragmented, requiring manual intervention and a deeper understanding of multiple software tools. • Because fatigue solvers are external and optional, their usage is often delayed until late in the design cycle — if they are used at all — reducing their potential to influence early design decisions. In summary, the current state of practice in fatigue analysis relies on a loosely coupled, file-based extension of the classic FEA workflow. This architecture introduces inefficiencies, limits scalability, and acts as a barrier to the broader adoption of fatigue analysis as a standard engineering tool. There is a clear opportunity to streamline this process