Fretting damage resulting from contacts under cyclic tangential loading is
modeled using the finite element method. Plane strain line contact between
a rigid circular cylinder and a semi-infinite elastic-plastic half space is
analyzed to predict cyclic strain response. The boundary between active pl
asticity and elastic shakedown is illustrated as a function of tolerable st
rain ranges and the amount of strain hardening present. Purely elastic and
elastic-plastic analyses are contrasted via cyclic total strain ranges and
fatigue life predictions based on a uniaxial strain life model. The results
indicate that plasticity acts to concentrate regions of intense cyclic str
aining at the surface, near the edges of contact. It is shown that the pres
ence of plastic straining, despite its small amplitude, can significantly a
lter lifetime predictions from those generated from purely elastic analyses
. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.