The RFC Correction Factor for Marine Structures Fatigue Analysis

The general concern of the paper is the fatigue strength criterion. The fundamentals of the S-N curve technique usually adopted by the Rules for the fatigue life prediction are briefly reviewed and the particular importance of the criterion to the side ship structures is confirmed. The relative significance of relevant parameters is identified by adopting a reliability approach. The stress range uncertainty appears to be the most one affecting the reliability index. Then the possibility of defining a correction factor for broad band load sprectra is pursued by analysing the numerical simulations of load histories; both a linear process and a non linear one have been herewith reproduced and results are reported as functions of the spectral width parameter: no definite correlation is apparent.