fatigue crack propagation

Fatigue crack propagation refers to the process where small cracks in a material gradually grow over time due to repeated stress or loading cycles. Each cycle causes tiny movements that slowly widen the crack, weakening the material’s structure. Over many cycles, this crack can become large enough to cause sudden failure or breakage. Factors like stress intensity, material properties, and environmental conditions influence how quickly cracks grow. Understanding this process helps engineers design safer structures by predicting and preventing unexpected failures from repeated use and stress over time.