Fig. 2.

Each step consisted of 100,000 cycles at 10 Hz in the four-point bending configuration. Upper and lower load level targets for each cycle were F _max and F _min, respectively, where F _min = 10 % F _max for each step. F _max was increased from one step to the next by a constant load increment corresponding to 10 % M _y,min, determined in preliminary tests to failure for each plate type. These F _max load increase increments differed for the plate types due to geometry differences and are listed in Table 1. For example, for BFS Reconstruction Plates, F _max,b+1 − F _max,b = 12.5 N, where b = step number. Tests continued with subsequent steps of incrementally increased F _max until conditions of failure were met (plate fracture or plastic deformation beyond 10° bend of the plate at 10-N load, applied between steps)