In-situ SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) observation of fatigue crack propagation in aluminium alloys reveals that crack growth occurs in a continuous way over the time period during the load cycle. Based on this observation, a new parameter da/dS is introduced to describe the fatigue crack propagation rate, which defines the fatigue crack propagation rate with the change of the applied stress at any moment of a stress cycle. The relationship is given between this new parameter and the conventional used parameter da/dN which describes the fatigue crack propagation rate per stress cycle. Using this new parameter, an analysis has been performed and a model has been set up to consider the effect of the applied stress ratio on the fatigue crack propagation rate. The obtained results have been used to correlate the published test data and a good correlation has been achieved. This method is very easy to use and no fatigue crack closure measurement is needed, therefore this model is significant in engineering application.
