Fretting fatigue phenomenon in bolted high-strength steel plate connections

Fretting fatigue is a major obstacle for bolted joints used as an alternative to welding. Several studies of the subject so far have concerned aluminium or titanium joints, but due to the recently developed high-strength steels that can be challenging to weld, the steel industry would also like to explore this field. This paper presents the experimental fatigue test results of double-lap joints in S355 and S960QC steels. The results are compared and analysed using the SWT parameter and an FE model of the test specimen. The noticeable difference in fretting fatigue behaviour of these materials will be explained and the controversial crack initiation issue addressed.