Engineering Reference

Fatigue limit (endurance limit)

The stress below which a material can endure unlimited load cycles without failing.

Definition

Some steels have a genuine fatigue limit — below about 40% of tensile strength they survive indefinitely. Aluminium and most non-ferrous metals do not, and their fatigue strength must be quoted at a specified number of cycles, usually 10⁷ or 5×10⁸.

The practical asymmetry matters: a steel part can be designed for infinite life, and an aluminium part cannot. It is a large part of why aircraft structures are life-limited rather than infinite-life.

Common misuse

Assuming aluminium has an endurance limit like steel. It does not — specify a fatigue strength at a cycle count instead.

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