A recent numerical method, the cell method, was applied for the dynamic analysis of an
L-shaped steel plate subjected to a sinusoidal load. The calculated stress time histories were
post-processed in order to assess fatigue life under four different high-cycle fatigue criteria: two
formulations of the equivalent Von Mises approach and two critical plane methods. The latter require
the definition of amplitude and mean value of the shear stress acting on a material plane: when
considering periodic stress histories, this is commonly achieved by the construction of the minimum
circumscribed circle (MCC), encompassing the shear stress load path on the assumed fracture plane.
In this study, a novel algorithm to determine the MCC has also been proposed and applied. The fatigue
life assessment results were discussed and compared to point out the relevant characteristics of each
method.
