Abstract
For predicting the low cycle fatigue life under variable strain amplitude, Mini's rule has been accepted as a simple and effective idea. In extreme large strain field corresponding to the fatigue life of less than ten cycles, however, the accuracy of Miner's rule has not been verified yet. In this study, by means of a newly developed testing system, low cycle fatigue tests under variable strain amplitude in extreme large strain field was conducted. The test results showed Mine's rule always predicted longer fatigue life than actual life. As another idea for predicting low cycle fatigue life, we proposed a simple model introducing the damage mechanics concept and examined its validity.
