Fatigue analysis of steel beam using Ansys

Abstract

The first purpose of this project is to learn the basic concepts and techniques involved in Ansys finite element analysis. The second purpose of this project is to conduct a simple fatigue analysis on a steel beam using Ansys Mechanical APDL. Ansys is one of the most sophisticated and advanced engineering simulation software, capable of dealing with problems in various engineering fields, such as structural analysis, thermal analysis, magnetic analysis etc. Fatigue failure may not seem like catastrophic but most materials fail because of fatigue. [1] Ansys Mechanical APDL can help us calculate the usage factor based on the material’s S-N property and the loading conditions. The basic knowledge of finite element analysis and Ansys acquired through this project will lay the foundation for the future simulation work.