The concept of plastic equilibrium points and its applications in cyclic plasticity

The concept of plastic equilibrium points is introduced for cyclically stabilized behavior of materials. Important properties that are closely related to the concept are discussed, such as the existence of the limit surface and the property of erasure-of-memory. Applications of the concept and associated properties are investigated, including those in simplifying experimental procedures, in validating analytical models, and in performing limit stress analysis under combined loading conditions. These applications provide useful insight and guidelines for performing both analytical and experimental studies in related areas of cyclic plasticity.