TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Beier, H. Th. T1 - Fatigue strength and life determination of weldments based on fracture mechanics N2 - The paper provides an overview on the results of a German cluster project on the use of fracture mechanics to the determination of the fatigue strength of weldments with fatigue cracks originating at the weld toes. The approach includes (a) a concept for short crack propagation for which the common ΔK concept is not applicable and the crack closure effects are still being gradually build-up, (b) a method for determining fatigue life relevant initial crack sizes as they are needed in any fracture mechanics analysis and (c) multiple cracking and crack coalescence at load levels higher than the endurance limit. The analyses are stochastically performed. Both, the endurance limit and the finite life branch of the S-N curve are determined. Besides a brief introduction into the approach, validation examples are presented. These comprise different weldment types (butt welds, cross joints and longitudinal stiffened plates), two steels (S355NL and S960QL) of quite different strengths, different weld geometries due to different welding techniques (WIG, MAG), as-welded and stress relieved welds and different stress ratios varying from R = -1 to R = 0.5. T2 - FDMD 2017 CY - Lecco, Italy DA - 19.09.2017 KW - Weldments KW - Fatigue strength KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Initial crack size KW - Short crack propagation KW - Multiple crack propagation PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-438500 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostr.2017.11.106 SN - 2452-3216 VL - 7 SP - 407 EP - 414 PB - ScienceDirect CY - Lecco, Italy AN - OPUS4-43850 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Klinger, Christian T1 - Material defects as cause for the fatigue failure of metallic components N2 - The paper provides an overview on material defects which may serve as fatigue crack initiation sites and can cause final fatigue failure of a component. These comprise nonmetallic inclusions in Steel and aluminum alloys, cavities such as pores, micro-shrinkages and un-welded regions in cast, sinter and additively manufactured alloys, graphite nodules, shrinkages and other items in modular cast iron, regions of defective microstructure, microcracks and secondary notches such as undercuts and surface roughness. Besides their origin, the effect and mechanisms on fatigue crack initiation and propagation are discussed. The considerations are proceeded and accompanied by a Brief discussion of some Basic aspects such as the stages of crack propagation along their length scale, the overcoming of crack arrest and the question when a secondary notch can be treated as a crack. KW - Material defects KW - Fatigue strength and life KW - Non-metallic inclusions KW - Pores KW - Shrinkages KW - Graphite modules KW - Surface roughness PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2019.06.024 SN - 0142-1123 SN - 1879-3452 VL - 127 SP - 312 EP - 323 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-49127 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Schwingfestigkeit und Bruchmechanik N2 - Der Vortrag behandelt in grundsätzlicher weise die Anwendung bruchmechanischer Methoden auf die rechnerische Ermittlung der Wöhlerkurve. Dabei werden die Besonderheiten des Kurzrisswachstums (Notwendigkeit der elastisch-plastischen Beschreibung der zyklischen Rissspitzenbelastung, gradueller Aufbau des Rissschlißphänomens) ebenso diskutiert wie das Problem des Mehrfachrissewachstums und Rissarrest. Die Ausführungen werden an einem Beispiel illustriert. T2 - Sitzung des FKM - Fachkreises "Bauteilfestigkeitä2 CY - Frankfurt/M., Germany DA - 05.09.2019 KW - Schwingfestigkeit KW - Bruchmechanik KW - Rissarrest KW - Kurzrisswachstum PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-49085 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Hensel, Jonas T1 - Application of fracture mechanics to weld fatigue N2 - The application of fracture mechanics to the determination of the fatigue behavior of weldments is discussed with the focus on classic fatigue, i.e., the overall fatigue life and the fatigue strength in terms of an S-N curve and the endurance limit. The following issues are addressed: specific features of short fatigue crack propagation, an adequate initial crack size, multiple crack propagation and its statistical treatment as well as welding residual stresses. As an example, an approach of the authors is applied to the determination of FAT classes for a butt weld with varying weld toe geometry. KW - Weld fatigue KW - Weld toe geometry KW - Short crack propagation KW - FAT class concept PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2020.105801 SN - 0142-1123 VL - 139 SP - 105801 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-50991 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Vormwald, M. A1 - Pippan, R. A1 - Gänser, H.-P. A1 - Sarrazin-Baudoux, C. A1 - Madia, Mauro T1 - About the fatigue crack propagation threshold of metals as a design criterion - A review N2 - The fatigue crack propagation threshold ΔKth is of paramount importance for any kind of damage tolerant design, but in contrast to this importance, the determination and application of the parameter is not on the firm ground as previously assumed. The paper discusses questions of its experimental determination as well as of its application to components. In both fields, new questions have been raised with the potential to challenge or modify long-standing knowledge. Against this background, the paper is an attempt to systematize the established knowledge as well as questions and open issues. KW - Fatigue crack propagation threshold KW - Experimental determination KW - Influencing factors KW - Transferability to components PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2015.12.002 SN - 0013-7944 SN - 1873-7315 VL - 153 SP - 190 EP - 243 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Kidlington AN - OPUS4-35264 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Beier, T. T1 - IBESS: Integrale Bruchmechanische Ermittlung der Schwingfestigkeit von Schweißverbindungen - eine Einführung T2 - DVS-Congress 2015 CY - Nürnberg DA - 2015-09-14 PY - 2015 AN - OPUS4-33500 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Application of the cyclic R-curve method in notch fatigue analysis N2 - The paper deals with the prediction of the fatigue Limit of notched specimens. Some authors in the literature have shown that this issue can be solved by employing an approach based on critical distances, others used elastic fracture mechanics. In this paper the fatigue limit of notched specimens is given by the non-propagating condition of mechanically small surface cracks. According to the so-called cyclic R-curve method, the crack driving force of a growing small crack is compared to its resistance force, which incorporates the gradual build-up of crack closure. The fatigue limit is determined by that applied nominal stress, for which the tangency condition of crack driving and resistance force is satisfied. The approach has been modified to incorporate plasticity effects in the mechanically short crack Regime and it has been applied to a mild and a high-strength steel, in case of an infinite plate with circular hole under remote tensile stress. The method has been successfully applied to the evaluation of fatigue notch-sensitivity in case of surface roughness. KW - Notch fatigue KW - Notch sensitivity KW - Cyclic R-curve KW - Non-propagating cracks KW - Critical distance PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2015.06.015 SN - 0142-1123 VL - 82 IS - 1 SP - 71 EP - 79 PB - Elsevier Ltd. CY - Oxford, UK AN - OPUS4-35298 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Bruchmechanische Bestimmung der Schwingfestigkeit basierend auf der zyklischen R-Kurve N2 - Konventionell wird in der Bauteilauslegung zwischen Konzepten der Schwing- und Betriebsfestigkeit auf der einen und der Bruchmechanik auf der anderen Seite unterschieden. Werden in der Schwingfestigkeitsbewertung Gesamtlebensdauern ermittelt, so sind es in der Bruchmechanik Restlebensdauern bei Vorhandensein eines größeren, d.h., bereits zerstörungsfrei auffindbaren Risses. Daneben gibt es seit längerem Bestrebungen, bruchmechanische Ansätze auch für die Ermittlung der Gesamtlebensdauer fruchtbar zu machen. Der besondere Wert einer solchen Kombination besteht darin, dass die Bruchmechanik die explizite theoretische Behandlung von Eingangsparametern (Kerben, Oberflächenrauhigkeit, Mittelspannung, etc.) erlaubt, die in den konventionellen Ansätzen mit vergleichsweise hoher Ungenauigkeit halbempirisch einbezogen werden. Der Beitrag stellt einen von den Autoren entwickelten bruchmechanischen Ansatz zur Ermittlung von Wöhlerkurven vor, der eine Reihe innovativer Merkmale wie die Anwendung der elastischplastischen Bruchmechanik auf kurze Risse, die Ermittlung der Ausgangsrissgröße aus Rissarrestbetrachtungen, die Beschreibung der transienten Entwicklung des Rissschließeffekts mit Hilfe zyklischer R-Kurven (Risslängenabhängigkeit des Schwellenwertes von der Risstiefe), die theoretische Erfassung von Mehrfachrisswachstum bei Lastniveaus oberhalb der Dauerfestigkeit und statistische Aspekte umfasst. Das diskutierte Beispiel ist eine Schweißverbindung (Stumpfnaht) und wurde im Rahmen des laufenden Cluster-Projektes IBESS (Integrale bruchmechanische Ermittlung der Schwingfestigkeit von Schweißverbindungen) generiert. T2 - 42. Tagung des DVM-Arbeitskreises Betriebsfestigkeit CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 07.10.2015 KW - Bruchmechanik KW - Schwingfestigkeit KW - Zyklische R-Kurve PY - 2015 SN - 1616-5144 N1 - Serientitel: DVM-Bericht – Series title: DVM-Bericht IS - 142 SP - 285 EP - 296 CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-35299 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Klinger, Christian A1 - Clegg, R. T1 - Fracture mechanics as a tool in failure analysis - Prospects and limitations N2 - Although fatigue crack propagation and fracture cause a large part of failure events in industrial practice, fracture mechanics in failure analysis seems to be still a side issue. Starting from an introduction into important basic questions of failure analysis and fracture mechanics, the authors specify what kind of questions in failure analysis can be effectively solved by fracture mechanics (and which can't). They illustrate their discussion with a number of 13 case studies from the literature. Much more pronounced than in the design stage the benefit of fracture mechanics in failure analysis depends on its accuracy. This is limited by both, intrinsic factors of the method and the availability and quality of the input information. The authors discuss the various aspects and provide the reader with some background information which, as they believe, will be helpful for better understanding the prospects and limitations of fracture mechanics in failure analysis and the conditions of its application. KW - Failure analysis KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Fatigue KW - Root cause KW - Accompanying measures PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2015.07.001 SN - 1350-6307 SN - 1873-1961 VL - 55 SP - 376 EP - 410 PB - Elsevier Science Publ. CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-33839 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Hübner, P. T1 - Fracture mechanics assessment of welded structures. Method for S-N curve determination T2 - Symposium on recent trends in fracture and damage mechanics CY - Freiberg DA - 2015-09-24 PY - 2015 AN - OPUS4-33848 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Kiyak, Yusuf A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Burgold, Andreas A1 - Riedel, Gernot T1 - Reference loads for plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to tension and bending for application within R6 type flaw assessment N2 - Two of the authors of the present paper proposed a definition of a reference load F0 which can be used as an alternative option to the common limit load for cases where the definition of the latter might be problematic in the frame of flaw assessment procedures such as R6, BS 7910, SINTAP or FITNET. The reference load is defined as that load at which the ligament yielding parameter Lr approaches one. F0, in general, varies along the crack front. It has to be obtained by finite element analyses but the results can be approximated by analytical expressions. In a previous study of the authors such a solution was presented for tension loaded plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks. In the present paper it is extended to pure bending and to combined bending and tension. KW - Flaw assessment KW - R6 procedure KW - BS 7910 KW - SINTAP KW - FITNET KW - Limit load KW - Reference load PY - 2013 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2012.11.017 SN - 0013-7944 SN - 1873-7315 VL - 99 SP - 132 EP - 140 PB - Elsevier Science CY - Kidlington AN - OPUS4-30416 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Beier, H.T. T1 - A model for the determination of the fatigue life in technical alloys containing large and small defects N2 - The determination of the fatigue life in technical alloys containing large and small defects must rely on a propagation model which accounts for short and long crack growth. Recently an analytical model which incorporates propagation in the short crack regime and plastic correction for the crack driving force has been presented by two of the authors. This work is intended to show further validation of the model, taking into account data sets for different materials with different testing conditions. Despite the assumptions about missing parameters, the value of which had to be taken from the literature, the predictions showed a fairly good approximation of the fatigue lives. A possible interpretation of the results in terms of multiple crack initiation and propagation at higher loads is proposed. T2 - EFC20 - 20th European conference on fracture CY - Trondheim, Norway DA - 30.06.2014 KW - Fatigue strength KW - Crack propagation KW - Short cracks PY - 2014 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-311961 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mspro.2014.06.082 SN - 2211-8128 VL - 3 SP - 493 EP - 498 PB - Curran CY - Red Hook, NY, USA AN - OPUS4-31196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Klinger, Christian A1 - Clegg, R. T1 - Fracture mechanics as a tool in failure analysis T2 - ICEFA IV CY - Lisbon, Portugal DA - 2014-07-06 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31122 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Arafah, D. T1 - Reference load solutions for plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks T2 - ECF 20 - European Conference on Fracture CY - Trondheim, Norway DA - 2014-06-30 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31123 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Zerbst, Uwe ED - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Analytische bruchmechanische Ermittlung der Schwingfestigkeit von Schweißverbindungen (IBESS-A3) N2 - Ziel des DFG-AiF-Forschungsclusters IBESS war die Entwicklung einer Methodik zur bruchmechanischen Ermittlung von Wöhlerkurven in Schweißverbindungen. Dem vorliegenden Teilprojekt A3 kamen dabei zwei Aufgaben zu: die Entwicklung einer analytischen bruchmechanischen Methodik und die Koordinierung des insgesamt acht Partner umfassenden Clusters. Dieser Bericht fasst die Ergebnisse der erstgenannten Aufgabe zusammen. Die bruchmechanische Methode ist durch folgende Aspekte charakterisiert. (a) Sie beschreibt sowohl Kurz- als auch Langrisswachstum. Ersteres umfasst mechanisch und physikalisch kurze Risse. Mechanisch kurze Risse weisen Abmessungen in der Größenordnung der plastischen Zone auf, weshalb sie zwar bruchmechanisch, nicht jedoch auf der Basis des linear-elastischen K-Konzepts charakterisiert werden können. Im Projekt wurde entsprechend eine Methode zur Bestimmung eines „plastizitätskorrigierten“ zyklischen K-Faktors entwickelt, die auf dem zyklischen J-Integral beruht. Physikalisch kurz bedeutet, dass die Rissschließeffekte im Ausgangsstadium der Rissentwicklung zunächst noch nicht vorhanden sind, dann jedoch graduell aufgebaut werden, bis sie mit Erreichen des Langrissstadiums eine risstiefenunabhängig konstante Größe erreichen. Beschrieben wird dieser Effekt durch die Anwendung der sogenannten zyklischen R-Kurve, der Funktion des Schwellenwerts gegen Rissausbreitung von der Risstiefe. Mittels Rissarrestbetrachtungen des kurzen Risses werden (b) die Ausgangsrissgröße für die weitere Bruchmechanikanalyse und (c) die für N = 107 definierte Dauerfestigkeit der Bauteile bestimmt. Die Analyse erfolgt (d) statistisch, Schwankungen der lokalen Nahtgeometrie entlang des Nahtübergangs über ein Modell äquidistanter Abschnitte einbezogen werden. (e) Eigenspannungen werden sowohl im unbehandelten Schweißzustand als auch nach zyklischer Belastung berücksichtigt. Das Modell wird an insgesamt 33 Wöhlerkurven validiert, die an drei Schweißverbindungsformen (Stumpfstoß, Kreuzstoß, Längssteife) mit je zwei unterschiedlichen Ausführungen, zwei Werkstoffen (S355NL und S960QL), sowie im spannungsarmgeglühten und ungeglühten Zustand experimentell ermittelt wurden. KW - Bruchmechanik KW - Schweißverbindungen KW - Schwingfestigkeit PY - 2016 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-359891 SP - Römisch I EP - 182 PB - Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-35989 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Application of fracture mechanics to welds with crack origin at the weld toe—a review. Part 2: welding residual stresses. Residual and total life assessment N2 - The two-part paper series provides an overview on the state-of-the-art in the application of engineering fracture mechanics to weldments limited to butt and fillet welds with crack initiation at weld toes. In the present second part, one focus is on welding residual stresses, their characteristics and stability under cyclic loading and their effect on structural integrity. Subsequently, features will be addressed which are essential for applying fracture mechanics to overall fatigue life and fatigue strength considerations of weldments. These comprise fatigue life relevant initial crack sizes and multiple crack initiation and Propagation due to various stress peaks along the weld toe. A concept is briefly introduced which covers all these aspects. KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Welding residual stresses KW - Multiple crack propagation KW - Fatigue strength PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-019-00816-y VL - 64 IS - 1 SP - 151 EP - 169 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-50263 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Application of Fracture Mechanics to welds with crack origin at the weld toe - a Review - Part 1: Consequences of inhomogeneous microstructure for materials testing and failure assessment N2 - The two-part paper provides an overview on the state-of-the-art in the application of engineering fracture mechanics to weldments. This, of course, cannot be exhaustive but is limited to butt and fillet welds with crack initiation at weld toes. In the present first pari, the authors briefly focus on the susceptibility of welds to cracks and other defects. Following this, they discuss in more detail the consequences of material inhomogeneity across the weld for fracture mechanics. Inhomogeneity causes scatter in fracture toughness and strength mis-match effects which both have to be considered in fracture toughness testing, crack driving force determination and fracture assessment of welded components. Part 2 of the paper series will add a discussion of welding residual stresses and questions of applying fracture mechanics to residual as well as total lifetime estimation of welds under cyclic loading. KW - Fracture toughness KW - Crack driving force KW - Material inhomogeneity KW - Strength mis-match PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-019-00801-5 SN - 0043-2288 VL - 63 IS - 6 SP - 1715 EP - 1732 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-48755 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Hildenberg, Kai A1 - Hrabe, N. T1 - Thoughts on damage tolerance and safe life design in metallic AM structures N2 - Der Vortrag bietet eine Diskussion zur Abschätzung des Schadenstoleranzverhaltens metallischer AM - Komponenten. Im Fokus stehen Probleme bei der Ermittlung repräsentativer Materialdaten, der Einfluss von Materialdefekten und Eigenspannungen. Ausgehend von derzeitigem Stand auf dem Gebiet werden Möglichkeiten der Schadenstoleranten Bauteileauslegung von AM diskutiert. N2 - The presentation provides a discussion and damage tolerant assessment of metallic AM components. In the focus are problems of the determination of representative material data, the effect of material defects and residual stresses. Starting with the actual state-of-the-art in the field, options and possibilities of a damage tolerant design for AM are discussed. T2 - BAM/NIST-Workshop on Fatigue of Additive Manufactured Metallic Components CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 16.05.2019 KW - Schadenstolerante Bauteilauslegung KW - Repräsentative Werkstoffeigenschaften KW - Defekte Eigenspannung KW - Damage tolerant component design KW - Representative material properties KW - Residual stresses PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-48810 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe T1 - Foreword N2 - The subject of this Special Issue is the fracture mechanics-based determination of the fatigue strength of weldments. Except for one, all papers were written in closer or wider relation to a methodology developed within the framework of the German Project cluster IBESS. Some of them provide background or supplementary information needed in that context but which is also relevant in a wider frame of research activities. The acronym IBESS stands for the topic of this Special Issue (in German: „Integrale Methode zu Bruchmechanischen Ermittlung der Schwingfestigkeit von Schweißverbindungen). Eight partners were involved. The cluster was cooperatively founded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) and by the German AiF Network (Arbeitsgemeinschaft industrieller Forschungsvereinigungen) for industrial research. KW - Fracture mechanics PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2018.05.046 SN - 0013-7944 VL - 198 IS - SI SP - 1 EP - 1 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-48696 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zerbst, Uwe A1 - Madia, Mauro A1 - Vormwald, M. T1 - Applying fracture mechanics to fatigue strength determination - some basic considerations N2 - A discussion is provided on demands that must be met in order to apply fracture mechanics to the determination of overall fatigue lifetime and strength, i.e., S-N curves and fatigue limits. These comprise the determination of the cyclic crack driving force for all stages of fatigue crack propagation, in particular for the short crack stage where the crack driving force has to be determined for elastic-plastic deformation and the gradual build-up of the crack closure phenomenon. Special emphasis is put on a fatigue damage relevant specification of the initial crack size. Different approaches in the literature are discussed. Another important aspect is the adequate treatment of multiple crack propagation. Finally, the discussion is illustrated by an example of a butt weld made of a medium strength steel. KW - Multiple cracks KW - Fatigue strength KW - Fracture mechanics KW - Fatigue crack propagation KW - Initial crack size PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2019.05.009 SN - 0142-1123 VL - 126 SP - 188 EP - 201 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-48091 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -