The scientific challenge
The FABEST HCF Competition is open to research groups, universities, laboratories, industrial partners and individual researchers working on fatigue modelling, multiaxial fatigue criteria, fatigue-life prediction and benchmark validation.
Participants are asked to submit blind fatigue-life predictions for 42CrMo4+QT steel specimens tested under high-cycle fatigue conditions. The blind target cases include plain and notched cylindrical specimens subjected to combined axial and torsional loading, including in-phase and 90° out-of-phase loading histories, with constant internal pressure.
The objective is to compare different fatigue-life prediction methods on the same well-characterised experimental basis and to assess their robustness under proportional and non-proportional multiaxial loading conditions.
Experimental database
Participants will receive a common experimental package including:
- specimen geometries and technical drawings;
- material information for 42CrMo4+QT steel;
- static tensile properties and fatigue calibration datasets (60 S-N curves and 1 Manson-Coffin curve);
- surface roughness measurements;
- hardness measurements;
- residual-stress information, when available;
- test setup and test-sequence documentation;
- public blind load matrix;
- Excel submission template;
- Word and LaTeX method-description templates.
All competition information and datasets will be made available on Zenodo as downloadable zipped folders.
Key information
| Field | Information |
| Official launch | 28 June 2026, during IFC14, Madeira |
| Submission deadline | 31 October 2026 |
| Format | Blind fatigue-life prediction benchmark |
| Material | 42CrMo4+QT steel |
| Loading | Multiaxial loading (i.e. axial-torsional) with constant internal pressure |
| Specimens | Plain and notched cylindrical specimens |
| Submission files | Excel prediction template plus method-description document |
| Data access | Zenodo zipped package |
| Registration | here |
| Zenodo package | here |
Prizes and recognition
Research groups may participate in the competition; however, only one person per group can receive the prize.
Prizes will be awarded to the two best predictions:
- 1st place: funding for one-month Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) within FABER COST Action framework;
- 2nd place: free participation in the 2nd Annual FABER Conference 2027
Both first- and second-place contributors will also be invited to join as co-authors of the round-robin paper presenting the competition results, which will be published in a high-impact journal.
How to participate
- Register for the competition, so that you can be updated whenever some new information is delivered.
- Download the FABEST HCF Zenodo package.
- Access the paper submitted to Data in Brief journal to document the data package of item 2.
- Read the Start Here file and the Competition Rules including evaluation metrics.
- Study the experimental basis, specimen geometries, load matrix and test-protocol documents.
- Calibrate the fatigue model using the provided experimental data.
- Complete the Excel prediction template.
- Complete either the Word or LaTeX method-description template.
- Submit the required files before the deadline of October 31.
Flyer:
Clicking on the picture above will redirect to the high-resolution .pdf format of the flyer.
The design is made by Silvia Balloni. More of the author’s work can be found here.
Contacts
For questions about the HCF competition:
- Prof. Michaela Gkantou, [email protected],
- Dr. Jan Papuga, [email protected],
- Dr. Andrea Chiocca, [email protected]
