Some recent developments on the application of the strain energy density to shallow threaded plates with sharp notches

In this study, the main advantages of the strain energy density (SED) approach and some recent applications of the SED to the fatigue analysis of welded joints are reviewed. In addition, the paper investigates the scale effect in the threaded plates with sharp notches subjected to tension loading. Some closed form expressions for evaluation of the notch stress intensity factors (NSIFs) of periodic sharp notches, obtained by SED approach, are employed. The new expressions are applicable to narrow notches when the ratio between the notch depth and the plate width, t/W, is lower than 0.025 providing very accurate results. The NSIF ratio of two scaled geometries of periodic sharp notches is a function of averaged SED in the control volume embracing the middle notch tip. The new results are very useful for the assessment under fatigue loading