Stress concentration factors of periodic notches determined from the strain energy density

Stress concentration factors (SCFs) of a number of flat plates and round bars with periodic U- and V-notches are evaluated. Tension, bending and torsion loadings are considered in the investigation. The main objective of the investigation is to take advantage of the local strain energy density (SED) averaged on a control volume surrounding the tip of the middle notch and to estimate the SCF of each component by using a relatively coarse mesh. The unique advantage of SED method is the most prominent application of such a technique in the current study. Systematic FE simulations by considering a wide range of notch acuity and relative frequency of periodic U- and V-notch components are performed. More than two hundred and fifty models have been examined. The results of this study are compared with those provided by other researchers in the past and recent literature. Two new expressions of the notch depth reduction factor for the case of normal stresses (tension and bending) and torsion are also proposed to match the results from SED approach. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.