A B S T R A C T The simple mathematical structure of the quadratic damage rule (QDR) enables mathematical expression of the failure condition in the case of random loading. Random loading after modified rainflow analysis is considered as a random marked point process. Moments of the damage distribution can be expressed by use of ensemble averages. A condition for validity of the first damage moment solution is formulated. The QDR damage first moment solution involves failure predictions for both stationary and non-stationary loadings. In these cases, final fracture conditions suitable for practical use are derived. QDR predicts fatigue lives that are always shorter than the linear damage rule (LDR) in the case of stationary loading with short interval of statistical dependence of random variables. QDR appears to be a suitable additional engineering tool for random loading fatigue life predictions considering loading sequence and loading level interactions.Keywords cumulative fatigue damage; engineering; fatigue life prediction; quadratic damage rule; random loading. N O M E N C L A T U R E a = point coordinate vector A = integration region in integration subspace a b f = number of loading blocks to fracture b f,er = exact number of repeated loading blocks to fracture b f,mr = number of manifold repeated loading blocks to fracture b f,rs = number of random stationary loading blocks to fracture C • ind , C • dep = sequence independent and sequence dependent members of D • , respectively D = damage D f = damage at fracture, constant D • = relative damage (D • = D/D f ) D • inv = inverse history relative damage D • ⊥ , D • ← , D • → = D • accounting for interrupted half-cycles, D • considering half-cycles/cycles at their beginnings and ends, respectively E = elastic modulus E(X ) = mathematical expectation of random variable X f D = function of damage f V = function of damage controlling quantity H = history damage factor I hc = immediate damage factor of half-cycle L(t), L(t, ω) = random loading L max , L min , L = extreme points and range of loading, respectively m = slope of constant amplitude fatigue life curve n * = number of half-cycles n * b = number of half-cycles in loading block n * c (t, ω) = counting process of N * f (t, ω)