Assessing Changes in the Fatigue Life of PCM-Piles under the Infl uence of Geo-Climatic Factors in the Far North

This article analyzes the most commonly used models for predicting the fatigue life of polymer composite materials to assess changes in the fatigue limit of PCM-piles. It was determined that the use of normalized fatigue curves eliminates the influence of differences in fiber and matrix strength, their volume fraction, and the polymer composite manufacturing method on fatigue life. It also allows for the generation of a fatigue curve based on experimental data from prototype samples, without relying on fatigue life data from test specimens. This method also allows for predicting changes in the fatigue properties of polymer composites during operation, given the magnitude of changes in their mechanical properties. It was found that thermal cycling has the greatest impact on the fatigue limit of polymer composite piles, while the combined effects of UV radiation, positive temperature, and air humidity have the least impact. Protective coatings significantly reduce this negative impact of external geoclimatic factors.