Within the branch of
materials science known as
material failure theory
Material failure theory is an interdisciplinary field of materials science and solid mechanics which attempts to predict the conditions under which solid materials fail under the action of external loads. The failure of a material is usuall ...
, the Goodman relation (also called a Goodman diagram, a Goodman-Haigh diagram, a Haigh diagram or a Haigh-Soderberg diagram) is an equation used to quantify the interaction of mean and alternating
stresses on the
fatigue
Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...
life of a
material
Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geolo ...
.
[Tapany Udomphol]
"Fatigue of metals"
. 2007. The equation is typically presented as a linear curve of mean stress vs. alternating stress that provides the maximum number of alternating stress cycles a material will withstand before
failing from fatigue.
A
scatterplot
A scatter plot (also called a scatterplot, scatter graph, scatter chart, scattergram, or scatter diagram) is a type of plot or mathematical diagram using Cartesian coordinates to display values for typically two variables for a set of data. ...
of experimental data shown on an amplitude versus mean stress plot can often be approximated by a
parabola
In mathematics, a parabola is a plane curve which is mirror-symmetrical and is approximately U-shaped. It fits several superficially different mathematical descriptions, which can all be proved to define exactly the same curves.
One descri ...
known as the Gerber line, which can in turn be (conservatively) approximated by a straight line called the Goodman line.
Mathematical description

The relations can be represented mathematically as:
, Gerber Line (parabola)
:
, Goodman Line
:
, Soderberg Line
where
is the stress amplitude,
is the mean stress,
is the
fatigue limit
The fatigue limit or endurance limit is the stress level below which an infinite number of loading cycles can be applied to a material without causing fatigue failure. Some metals such as ferrous alloys and titanium alloys have a distinct limit, ...
for completely reversed loading,
is the
ultimate tensile strength
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), often shortened to tensile strength (TS), ultimate strength, or F_\text within equations, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking. In brittle materials ...
of the material and
is the
factor of safety
In engineering, a factor of safety (FoS), also known as (and used interchangeably with) safety factor (SF), expresses how much stronger a system is than it needs to be for an intended load. Safety factors are often calculated using detailed analy ...
.
The Gerber parabola is indication of the region just beneath the failure points during experiment.
The Goodman line connects
on the abscissa and
on the ordinate. The Goodman line is much safer consideration than the Gerber parabola because it is completely inside the Gerber parabola and excludes some of area which is nearby to failure region.
The Soderberg Line connects
on the abscissa and
on the ordinate, which is more conservative consideration and much safer.
is the yield strength of the material.
The general trend given by the Goodman relation is one of decreasing fatigue life with increasing mean stress for a given level of alternating stress. The relation can be plotted to determine the safe cyclic loading of a part; if the coordinate given by the mean stress and the alternating stress lies under the curve given by the relation, then the part will survive. If the coordinate is above the curve, then the part will fail for the given stress parameters.
[Hertzberg, pp. 530-31.]
References
Bibliography
*Goodman, J., ''Mechanics Applied to Engineering'', Longman, Green & Company, London, 1899.
*Hertzberg, Richard W., ''Deformation and Fracture Mechanics and Engineering Materials''. John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ: 1996.
*Mars, W.V., ''Computed dependence of rubber's fatigue behavior on strain crystallization''. Rubber Chemistry and Technology, 82(1), 51-61. 2009.
Further reading
*
*{{cite book , last=Nisbett , first=Richard G. Budynas, J. Keith , title=Shigley's mechanical engineering design , year=2008 , publisher=McGraw-Hill Higher Education , location=Boston
ass., isbn=9780073121932 , pages=295–300 , edition=8th
External links
Fatpack. Fatigue analysis in python with Goodman mean stress correction implementation.
Materials science
Fracture mechanics
Rubber properties