Short-crack modelling of the effect of corrosion pits on the fatigue limit of 12% Cr steel

Comprehensive data on the fatigue limit of smooth uncorroded specimens and specimens with single corrosion pits of a 12% Cr steel for steam‐turbine blades have been generated by means of ultrasonic fatigue testing. The threshold for fatigue‐crack growth has also been determined. Available (short‐)crack models due to El Haddad and Härkegård and Smith and Miller generally yield safe predictions for the fatigue limit of the pitted specimens, whereas Murakami's √area model yields inconsistent predictions in the present case.