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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
This work deals with rotating bending fatigue tests on aluminum alloy 6061-T6, under loading condition close to the elastic limit of the material. Results have been obtained for three types of specimens: without artificial pitting, specimens with one artificial pitting hole and specimens with two neighboring artificial pitting holes. Results show that fatigue endurance is reduced in the case of one pitting hole and considerably for two neighboring pitting holes. In order to explain this behavior, numerical analysis by FE are carried out to determine the stress concentrations for the three types of specimens. It is found that the stress concentration for two neighboring pitting holes is an exponential function of the separation between the two holes, under uniaxial loading. The probability to find two or more neighboring pitting holes in real industrial materials, such as cast iron, corroded or pitting metallic alloys is high; then, the stress concentration for two or more neighboring pitting holes needs to be considered for the fatigue prediction life under fatigue loading and corrosion attack applications.