Abstract:The analysis of the plastic flow characteristics on the basis of the ratcheting experimental results for the bridge steel 16Mn are carried out by calculatig the plastic modulus H and the angle θ between the backstress rate deviator and the plastic flowdirection. The different mechanisms causing uniaxial andmultiaxial nonproportional ratchetting are illustrated, that is, the starting and evolution of uniaxial ratchetting is due to the different values of the plastic modulus H at the symmetric loading points with respect to the mean stress. On the other hand, the staring and evolution of multiaxial nonproportional ratcheting is driven by H and θ variations. The influence of loading history on ratchetting is the result of the influence of loading history on the angle θ.