(ASTM: West Conshohocken, PA) -- Creep-fatigue testing simulates the loading and temperature conditions experienced by turbine components of aircraft engines, nuclear reactor components, and fossil power plant components during service. With increasing need for cyclic operation during peak power demands, reliable creep-fatigue test data is necessary for the life assessment of aging power plants.

A new standard from ASTM International, ASTM E2714—“Test method for creep-fatigue testing,” provides a means for this type of testing. The new standard was developed by subcommittee E08.05 on cyclic deformation and fatigue crack formation, part of ASTM International committee E08 on fatigue and fracture.

Test results from the standard can be used to assess the suitability of materials for demanding applications in which safety is a primary concern, says Ashok Saxena, Ph.D., dean of engineering, and Irma and Raymond Giffels’ endowed chair, College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

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