 Widespread fatigue damage

Widespread Fatigue Damage (WFD) is a term primarily used in the context of structural engineering and materials science, particularly in the assessment of aircraft and other structures that experience cyclic loading. WFD refers to the accumulation of microstructural damage in materials due to repeated loading and unloading — a phenomenon known as fatigue. In the aerospace industry, for instance, aircraft components are subjected to numerous cycles of stress during their operational life.