Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis

MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

A Simple e-N Analysis

Problem Description

Geometry

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Run the Fatigue Analysis

Review the Results

Concluding Remarks

106

107

126
129

110
124

106 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Problem Description

Problem Description
A model, as shown to the side, aptly named the spider model because of its unique shape, is fixed at the
shafts of its three legs. The center shaft is subject to a fully reversed 15 KSI amplitude pressure loading
on its underside that oscillates in a sinusoidal fashion. A linear static finite element analysis was
performed using MSC Nastran with this load magnitude of 15 KSI.

Everything that you have learned thus far using MSC Fatigue and the Total Life method is now also
applicable to the next method of fatigue life prediction. We will build on this knowledge to introduce and
explain the Crack Initiation method, sometimes known as the local strain or strain-life method. As the
name implies, the failure criterion now is life to initiate a crack. Once an engineering crack appears,
failure is said to have occurred.

Objective
To introduce the Crack Initiation method
To understand cyclic hardening/softening
To learn how cyclic stress-strain and strain-life curves are created
To understand how plasticity is accounted for
To relate stress-life to strain-life prediction methods

Table 5-1

Chapter 5 Necessary Files

File

P3_HOME/mscfatigue_files/examples/spiderCI.op2

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 107

Geometry

Geometry
The geometry of the model and the FE results of the linear static analysis can be found in the file
spiderCI.op2. By now you should know how to invoke Pre&Post or MSC Patran. Do so now in a clean
working directory.

Import the Model

Open a new database from File | New and call it spider. The model was run through a MSC Nastran
analysis so keep the Analysis Preference set to MSC Nastran when asked.
In Pre&Post, press the Import toggle switch on the main form (not to be confused with the File | Import
pulldown) or in MSC Patran, press the Analysis toggle. When the form appears set the Action to Access
Results, the Object to Read Output2, and the Method to Both (model and results); then, press the Select
Results File button and select the file spiderCI.op2 and press Apply. The model will then appear and
you are ready to set up a fatigue analysis.

108 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Geometry

View the Stress Results

Before moving on to the fatigue analysis however, first press the Results application switch on the main
form to view the stress results from the MSC Nastran analysis. Select Stress Tensor from the listbox and
set the Quantity to von Mises. Note the areas of high stress. You can rotate the model using the middle
mouse button and then dragging for a better view. The areas of interest are going to be the nodes with the
highest stresses. These are nodes 981, 2314, and 3650 on the top, inside portion of the center shaft
between the three legs.

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 109

Geometry

110 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

By now you should know how to access the MSC Fatigue setup form. Once the form is open, set the
General Setup Parameters as follows:

1. Analysis: Initiation
2. Results Loc.: Node
This simply means that the fatigue lives will be determined at the nodes of the model. With a solid
model this is always preferred since cracks always initiate at the surface (unless there is an internal
flaw). If set to Element, the fatigue lives would be calculated at the element centroids.
3. Nodal Ave.: Global
Accept the default which simply means element nodal stresses will be averaged for nodes with
more than one element contribution.
4. F.E. Results: Stress
You now have the choice of using either stresses or strains. Either one should give you equivalent
answers. Stresses are converted to strains in this method.
5. Res. Units: PSI
6. Jobname: spider_ci

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 111

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

7. Title: Crack Initiation Analysis of Spider Model

Solution Parameters
Open the Solution Params... form. On this form, set only these parameters:

1. Analysis Method: None

This is analogous to a mean stress correction method as was done in the S-N method. Selecting
None is equivalent to no mean stress correction.
2. Plasticity Correction: Neuber
We will correct for plasticity using the Neuber method. This is explained in the next section.
3. Stress/Strain Combination: Max. Abs. Principal
This is the stress parameter that will be used in the fatigue analysis identical to what we have used
in all previous examples thus far.
Press the OK button to continue.

112 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Material Information

This is where the major differences lie between what you have learned thus far with the Total Life method
and the Crack Initiation method. Press the Material Info... button on the main MSC Fatigue form.
Create a Group

Before selecting the material we wish to use, first create a group which contains all the nodes and
elements of the finite element model except the nodes that have no stress results associated with them.
Select Group | Create from the main menu bar of Pre&Post or MSC Patran. Call it spider_only, change
the Group Contents to Add all FEM. Press the Apply button.
Now remove unwanted nodes. Change the Action to Modify. Press the Change Target Group and select
our new group, spider_only. In the Member List to Add/Remove databox, type Node 10000:10006.
Press the Remove button, then close the form. These nodes are associated to an MPC and have no FE
results associated to them. They are removed from the analysis to avoid confusion.

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 113

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Select a Material

First let us set up this form and then we will discuss the material information involved in a Crack
Initiation analysis. We will specify a material, a surface finish and treatment and a region on the model
to which this combination will apply just as we have done in previous exercises.

1. Material: BS4360-50D
Only materials with strain data appear in the listbox.
2. Surface Finish: Polished
Select Polished for now as most cyclic material data is created using polished test specimens,
therefore we wish to use the data as-is.
3. Surface Treatment: No Treatment
4. Region: spider_only
Select the group we just created in the previous step to calculate lives for the entire model less
those that have no results associated with them.
Cyclic Stress-Strain Curve

Now press the Materials Database Manager button to launch PFMAT. Let us take a look at a couple of
materials we have used before. Load the materials by pressing the Load | data set 1 switch and selecting
MANTEN from the list. Do the same for Load | data set 2 and select RQC100. Although we do not use
these materials in this analysis, they serve as good examples.
Press or double click Graphical Display | Cyclic stress-strain curve plot to view the cyclic stress-strain
curves for these two materials.

114 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

This plot shows how these two materials behave under cyclic loading conditions. It also shows how they
behave relative to one another. RQC100 is obviously a much higher strength steel with its yield point
well above that of MANTEN. Three parameters (E, K, n) need to be defined in order to characterize
these plots according to the following equation that relates stress amplitude to strain amplitude:
a 1 n'

a = -----a- + ------
E K'

The first part of the right hand side can be recognized as the elastic stress-strain equation (Hookes law)
and the second part defines the plastic strain. This equation is identical to the Ramberg-Osgood equation
that relates total strain to the elastic strain plus plastic strain in the monotonic sense. The only differences
are the primes () on K and n to signify that it represents a cyclic condition as opposed to a monotonic
condition.
Cycle Hardening, Cycle Softening

Now an interesting thing to do is to plot the cyclic and the monotonic stress-strain curves on top of each
other for each of the two materials we have loaded. Select File | New Plot from the current plot pulldown
menu. Now select cyclic Monotonic stress-strain curves plot and press the OK button. You will be
asked which data set to plot. Select data set 1, MANTEN and press the OK button. Do the same
operation for data set 2. Note the following from these plots:

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 115

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

1. It appears that RQC100s cyclic yield point is below its monotonic yield value. This implies it is
weaker under cyclic conditions. This is known as cyclic softening or strain softening.
2. MANTENs cyclic yield point is above its monotonic yield point, implying that it is stronger
under cyclic loading. This is known as cyclic hardening or strain hardening.
When a material softens under cyclic material properties, this can be very bad from a durability
standpoint. This is why many structures or components fail prematurely even though, supposedly, they
have been designed to remain below yield. The problem in these cases is that the actual yield point is
much lower when subject to cyclic loading.

Note:

Because of this hardening or softening phenomenon, it is highly suggested that if you do nonlinear (load step) FE analysis, that you use the cyclic stress-strain curve(s) and not the
monotonic ones if fatigue and durability is of concern to you.

116 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Hint:

You can put the elastic line on the stress-strain curves by selecting Plot_Type | Elastic
Line. To remove the line select Plot_Type | Remove Lines.

Cyclic Material Tests

How are these cyclic stress-strain curves created? The monotonic stress-strain curve is created by simply
placing a test coupon in a servo-hydraulic test machine and slowly increasing the load until the
component breaks. The elastic modulus can be determined from this test as well as the yield and ultimate
tensile strengths.
A cyclic stress-strain curve is created through a series of tests where the strain level is precisely
controlled. The load is increased until the specified strain level is reached and then the load is reversed.
These tests are typically performed using fully reversed loading. Each test is done at a different strain
level. Initially each test will exhibit a softening or hardening effect as can be seen if the hysteresis loops
are plotted for a given test (see diagram above). Eventually the material will stabilize and stop hardening
or softening. This stable hysteresis loop is then extracted. The maximum stress/strain level from the
stable hysteresis loop of each test is then cross-plotted onto its own stress-strain space which then
constitutes the cyclic stress-strain curve.

Strain-Life Curve

From each of these strain-controlled tests also comes another piece of information: the number of cycles
to failure. This information can be plotted onto its own curve called the strain-life curve. Select File | New
Plot and then select Strain-life plot. You can compare the two strain-life plots for MANTEN and
RCQ100. Note that they cross each other and therefore exhibit different life behavior depending on the
stain level experienced. So it is impossible to say from the plot which would perform better.

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 117

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Note:

The failure criterion (that is, when a crack has actually initiated) is determined by ASTM
standard E606. It is not a specified length of the crack, but instead a percentage drop in load
as measured by the test device. When a crack initiates the component can no longer sustain the
same level of stress for the same strain rate. If you actually looked at a test specimen after
reaching the failure point, there would appear to be an engineering sized crack of, say, 1 to 2
mm in length.

Now unload both materials. First, you will need to exit your plot. This is done by selecting File | Exit.
Now you can unload the materials by doing an unload | data set 1 and then Unload | data set 2. Now
let us look at the strain-life plot of BS4360-50D. Select Load | data set 1; select BS4360-50D. Now go
and select Graphical Display | Strain life plot.

118 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

This curve can be fully characterized by knowing four material parameters as shown in the equation of
the strain-life plot (f ,b,f ,c):
f'
b
c

------ = ------ ( 2N f ) + f' ( 2N f )

E
2
(Elastic)
(Plastic)

Like the stress-strain curves, it also is broken into an elastic component and a plastic component which
can also be plotted separately (Plot_Type | EP Lines). The summation of the two lines makes the total
strain-life curve. The following notes are made about this plot:
1. The elastic and plastic lines cross each other at some point which is called the transition point.
2. The transition point defines the difference between high cycle fatigue (HCF) versus low cycles
fatigue (LCF).
3. To the right of the transition point is considered HCF because elastic events dominate plastic
events.
4. To the left of the transition point is considered LCF because plastic events dominate elastic
events.
The software makes every attempt to inform you (in FEFATs design optimization mode) what amounts
of HCF, LCF, or transition life the component is experiencing.
Why is this important?
The type of fatigue being experienced will dictate the remedy or solution. For example, in HCF you
might try a higher strength steel, or change the surface finish/treatment or mean stress (residual) to better
the fatigue life. If LCF is being experienced these remedies would have little or no effect and in some

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 119

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

cases, perhaps even worsen the situation. The solution there is to find a material that is more resistant to
plastic deformation, such as a more ductile material.

Note:

Just as with the S-N method, an -N curve is also based on the principle of similitude. This
means that if we can reproduce the same local strain as that experienced in, say, the plate
with a hole shown to the right, in a test laboratory specimen made of the same material,
then we can expect the life of the two to be about the same, when subjected to the same
strain levels.

Stress-Life vs. Strain-Life

With the strain-life plot on the screen and the elastic-plastic lines posted, take a good look at the elastic
portion of the strain-life equation. If you ignore the plastic component and take E to the other side of the
equation you get a stress equaling some constant times the number of cycles to failure raised to the power
b. This is the exact formula for the stress-life curve. So the elastic strain-life curve is, in fact, a material
S-N curve (with crack initiation as the failure criterion). The significance is that the S-N method is
nothing more that a subset of the Crack Initiation method ignoring plastic influences.

Note:

The crack initiation method, taking into account elastic and plastic contributions to fatigue
life, is more widely applicable to a greater range of problems (HCF and LCF) whereas the
Total Life method breaks down below the transition point (usually around 105 cycles) because
plasticity dominates. This is why S-N curves are only good for HCF.

When finished, select File | Exit to close any plot and eXit to quit PFMAT. Press the OK button to close
the Material Info... form.

120 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Loading Information

Open the Loading Info... form. Then press the Time History Manager button to launch PTIME. The
load will be defined as a constant amplitude, fully reversed loading. This will have the effect of
oscillating the 15 KSI load from +15 KSI to -15 KSI.
Define a Sinusoidal Unit Load - Fully Reversed

As we have done in previous exercises, when PTIME comes up, select Copy from central as the method
of input.

Note:

If you have been working sequentially through this document, then you will already have
some entries in the PTIME database. The version of the form that is displayed will be different
than the one shown here. On this form, select Add an entry and then select the option Copy
from central, which is the equivalent of selecting Copy from central on the shown form.

Use the List button to select SINE01. This will copy a unit sinusoidal signal to your local directory.
Now select Change an entry | edit Details. Enter SINE01 as Target Filename and allow overwrite when
asked and enter the following, leaving defaults for those fields not mentioned:

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 121

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

1. Description 1: Constant Ampl., Fully Reversed Sinusoidal Unit Load

2. Description 2: whatever you want
3. Load type: Pressure
4. Units: PSI
5. Fatigue equivalent units: Cycles
We are defining a single occurrence of this fully reversed, constant amplitude signal as one cycle
of the loading.
Press the OK button to go on.

122 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Plot the Time History

PTIME returns to its main menu where you can select Plot an entry. Accept the default file, SINE01.
Select File | Exit to close the plot and press or double click the eXit switch in PTIME.
Associate the FE Load to its Time Variation

Now back on the Loading Info... associate the time variation of the load that you just created to the FE
load case just as you have done in previous exercises. Fill out the spreadsheet in the center of the form
as follows with all other parameters using their default settings.

1. Load Case ID: 1.1-4.1-1-

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 123

Set Up the Fatigue Analysis

Use the Get/Filter Results... button to see the available results in the database. Select the only
Result Case from the first listbox and Stress Tensor from the second listbox and then press the
Fill Cell button. This will fill the cell with the internal IDs of the selected load case and its stress
results. Remember, the load case ID shown here may not correspond to the ID you see.
2. Time History: SINE01
When this cell become active, select the sine wave you just created.
3. Load Magnitude: 1.0
Remember a specification of unity here signifies that the stresses from the FE analysis will be
used as-is in the fatigue analysis and the time variation loading that we defined will be used to
scale the stresses up or down as needed. You must press a carriage return to accept the value in
the databox below the spreadsheet.
The time variation of the loading is now associated to the static FE results. Press the OK button to close
the Loading Info... form.

124 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Run the Fatigue Analysis

Run the Fatigue Analysis

You are ready to run the fatigue analysis. Open the Job Control... form, set the Action to Full Analysis
and press the Apply button. The database will close momentarily as the results information is extracted.
When the database reopens, the job will have been submitted. You can then set the Action to Monitor
Job and press the Apply button from time to time to view the progress. When the message

Fatigue analysis completed successfully

appears, the analysis is complete. Close down the Job Control... form when done.

Rainflow Cycle Counting

When the analysis starts it first converts stresses to strains if stresses have been supplied. The rainflow
counting procedure then takes place as discussed in earlier chapters. This results in a matrix of strain
cycles with their respective ranges and means. The Crack Initiation method helps to, perhaps, better
understand rainflow cycle counting.

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 125

Run the Fatigue Analysis

The reason rainflow cycle counting works so well is because it actually counts the number of stress-strain
cycles (hysteresis loops) in a time varying signal. So consider a signal stood on its end. As it is loaded
from point A to B and unloaded from point B to point C, this converts into the section A-B-C in stressstrain space. On loading from point C to D, in stress-strain space, it actually remembers it was on the
original path from A to D and the interruption B-C-B is counted as one cycle. E-F-E also counts as a cycle
as does G-H-G. All cycles fall inside of one large, outer cycle (A-D-A) representing the maximum and
minimum of the signal. Cycles with some noticeable area inside within this large, outer loop cause
damage while those that are straight lines are purely elastic and cause no damage.

Elastic-Plastic Correction
Now before damage can be determined and summed for each cycle certain corrections need to take place,
the main correction being the conversion of purely elastic stresses and strains to elastic-plastic stresses
and strains. Other corrections will be dealt with in later chapters.
Plasticity is accounted for in the Crack Initiation method by the Neuber method. The elastic stresses and
strains are looked up on the elastic line and then corrected to fall onto the cyclic stress strain curve to
determine the elastic-plastic stresses and strains. This elastic-plastic strain is used to look up damage on
the strain-life damage curve. Neubers elastic-plastic correction (sometimes called a notch correction)
is based on the simple principle that the product of the elastic stress and strain should be equal to the
product of the elastic-plastic stress and strain from the cyclic stress-strain curve. Then through an
iterative method, the elastic-plastic stress and strain can be determined. This is illustrated below.

Note:

If we want to do stress-strain tracking so that we can calculate the maximum or mean stress
of each cycle we need to know what the shape of each arm of a hysteresis loop is. We get this
by using Masing's hypothesis which says that the hysteresis curve is the same shape as the
cyclic stress strain curve, but doubled up in both directions, hence the factors of two in the
equation for the cyclic stress strain curve above.

126 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Review the Results

Review the Results

Before we actually look at the results of this analysis, let us try and predict approximately what the life
prediction will be. This will help solidify some of the concepts introduced in this chapter. We can do this
because the loading is simple, constant amplitude, and has zero mean. We need the following information
first:
1. Node with highest stress: Node 2314
2. Maximum Principal Stress: 58,732 PSI
3. Youngs Modulus: 2.776e7 PSI
4. Strain = Stress/E: 2.12e-3
Hint:

An easy way to recover the Maximum Principal Stress is to use the Report function in the
Results application. Press Results application switch on main Pre&Post or MSC Patran
form. Set the Action/Object to Create/Report. Select Stress Tensor | Max Principal.
Change the mode of the form to Target Entities (the second button icon) and change the
Target Entity to Nodes and type in Node 2314. Press Apply. The report is sent to the
invoking UNIX or DOS window.

Now before doing anything else, look this strain level up on the strain-life curve: 55,900 reversals =
29,110 cycles. To do this yourself, go to the Material Info... form and invoke the database manager and
graphically plot the strain-life plot for BS4360-50D. Using the left mouse button, click on the curve to
have the coordinate locations reported to you in the lower left corner of the graphics screen. (On UNIX
the coordinates are reported above the graphics on the plot command line.) This will of course be an
approximation.
Now correct for plasticity. The value we just read off the curve was using the elastic strain only. To find
out what the elastic-plastic strain is we need to use the cyclic stress-strain curve for BS4360-50D. We
need to solve this equation for and , knowing e and e: ee = = 124.5. This has to be done using
trial and error. Graphically display the cyclic stress-strain curve. Then use the mouse as you did on the
strain-life curve to find a stress and a strain that lies on the stress-strain curve that has the product of
approximately 124.5. This again will be an approximation. You may end up with slightly different
answers than reported here if you perform this exercise yourself: = 2.835e-3, = 45,290. Quit from
PFMAT when you are done if you followed this exercise.

Hint:

It might help to zoom in on the area of interest of the curve for a more accurate
coordinate reading. Either press the right mouse button in the bottom left zoom corner
and again in the top right zoom corner or use the View | Window X and Window Y
options and type coordinate values in.

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 127

Review the Results

Now look this new value of strain up on the strain-life as you did before. So our guess is that the life
prediction will be around 22,2880 reversal = 11,440 cycles.

Note:

The S-N curve usually is reported as stress range (S) versus cycles to failure (N). The -N
curve is usually reported as strain amplitude (a) versus reversals to failure (2N). Be aware of
these facts since they could throw your calculations off by a factor of two or more if you think
you are using range instead of amplitude or reversals instead of cycles.

View the Life Contour Plot

Open the Results... form on the main MSC Fatigue setup form (not to be confused with the Results
application switch on the main Pre&Post or MSC Patran form). With the Action set to Read Results,
press Apply. The fatigue analysis results have been read into the database.

Now go to the Results application in Pre&Post or MSC Patran and plot the Log of Life (Cycles). Set the
Action/Object to Create/Quick Plot. Select the Crack Initiation result case and Log of Life (Cycles).
Press the Apply button. Note that the smallest life reported is at Node 2314 of approximately 10 4.124 =
13,346 Cycles, very close to our hand calculation of 11,440 cycles.

128 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Review the Results

Chapter 5: A Simple e-N Analysis 129

Concluding Remarks

Concluding Remarks
This exercise has served to introduce the Crack Initiation method which uses local strain and is mostly
accredited to Manson and Coffin; the material parameter, c, is named after Coffin. The cyclic stress-strain
curve and the strain-life curve have been introduced as well as the Neuber notch correction method.

Other Notch Corrections

Other elastic-plastic correction methods are available in MSC Fatigue which are valuable to use for very
low cycle fatigue where the Neuber method tends to break down and not be as accurate. To use the other
methods (Seeger-Beste or Mertens-Dittman) you need to define a parameter, p. These methods, as p
tends to infinity, revert to the Neuber method.
This parameter, p, is known as a shape factor or a limit load ratio (Lu/Ly). Ly is the yield limit and Lu is
the limit load where you assume elastic-perfectly plastic behavior yield stress (+ or -) across the whole
section. To determine Lu it becomes a simple integration (if you have a simple geometry). If you also
have a small notch, the Kt of the notch will reduce the yield load but not the limit load (much) so the
shape factor goes up. These ratios generally fall somewhere between 1.5 and 3. See the MSC Fatigue
Users Guide for a more detailed definition of p and its value for some standard shapes.

The diagram above compares an elastic-plastic FE analysis to the Neuber and other notch
correction methods.

130 MSC Fatigue 2005 QuickStart Guide

Concluding Remarks

Stresses vs. Strains

In this example we used stresses from our FE model. We could have just as easily selected the strains to
use instead. We would expect to get exactly the same answers, however there are a few things to be
aware of.
1. Youngs Modulus must be the same as that used in the FE analysis and that defined in the material
BS4360-50D. Otherwise the strains reported in the FE model will be different than the ones
calculated by MSC Fatigue when converting stresses to strains.
2. The number of rainflow bins can influence the accuracy between using stress vs. strains. Try this
as an exercise to see the influence of the number of bins on the fatigue life prediction.
From the Results... form select Re-Analyze and enter Node 981 2314 3650. These are the nodes
with the highest stresses. This will run FEFAT for you. When FEFAT appears accept all the
defaults except change the Matrix size to 64. Then do it for 128 bins. Note that the fatigue life
predictions increase to over 14,000 cycles. Now go back to the original job setup and change the
General Setup Parameter, FE Results: to Strains, and go to the Loading Info... form and select the
Strain Tensor in the Load Case ID column. Re-run the analysis and do the same Re-Analyze
operation as you did when using the stress FE results. Note that for 32 bins, the same exact results
are determined for all three nodes. Even for a higher matrix size, the strain FE results are less
conservative than when using the FE stresses. This is because the resolution of the bins is better
when using stresses.
3. You should be very careful using FE strains from plate models. Because many FE codes do not
calculate or do not include the out-of-plane strain (z), which is needed to determine the proper
strain combination parameter (max. abs. principal, signed von Mises, etc.), it is safer to use the
stresses from the FE analysis.
4. One final thing to be aware of using FE strains: the strains that are usually stored in the database
when imported from a typical analysis code such as MSC Nastran are stored as strain tensors, not
as engineering strain. MSC Fatigue multiplies the three shear strain components by two to convert
them to engineering strain before using them in a fatigue analysis. This does not happen when
external result files are used.