Abstract
The load capacity of homogeneous, isotropic viscoelastic materials subjected to multiaxial stresses is considered. For this purpose uniaxial equivalent stresses in selected load cases are determined and relevant criteria applied. It is shown that in the case of constant load the yield criterion does not differ from that for perfectly elastic materials. Similar conclusion has been drawn for the fatigue and yield criteria at in-phase and out-of-phase stresses. On the contrary, the criteria derived for viscoelastic materials subjected to periodic loads do not coincide with those for perfectly elastic materials.