Aconnell.. a bit more complex that it looks...
Fatigue cracks ONLY initiate [from tiny defects] and grow when tension stresses are DYNAMIC [cyclic].
Interference-fit [freeze-fit, press-fit, etc] plugs and stiff bushings generate a static tension field around holes due to interference. As long as dynamic tension stresses around the holes remain AT/BELOW the static tension stress caused by the plug or bushing, then the hole does NOT see any stress changes... therefore NO fatigue cracking growth can occur.
When dynamic stresses fluctuate around the hole ABOVE the static stress due to the plug/bushing, then the effect of the dynamics stresses for fatigue crack growth is reduced by the static tension stress around the hole wall due to the plug: IE: cracks initiate and grow more slowly than a "open or net-fit" hole due to the relatively lower "apparent" tension stress fluctuations.
NOTE: Freeze-fit plugs/bushings are desireable becaues the extreme shrinkage due to cryonic temps allows to the plug/ bushing to be inserted with minimal force and possible hole-wall damage [crack-starters].
CAUTION: stress corrosion cracking prone materials should be carefully evaluated before installling a plug or bushing in significant interference: the possibility for severe SCC failure [static cracking] rises dramaticaly with even low static stresses in many 7XXX-T6 and 2XXX-T3/-T4, very high strength steels, etc. Often the tendency for SCC can be minimized by hole-cold-working... but the static tension field around the hole-wall compression field could STILL induce SCC away from the CX'd hole... if the hole is close to a free-edge [including cutout or non-reinforced hole]... or a severe scratch, dent, nick, corrosion pit, etc... is in the tension field of the CX'd hole.
NOTE: Mandrel/sleeve methods of hole cold working [and in to a lesser degree shot-peening of large holes] adds in the effects of a hole wall [surface] with significant residual compression stresses... and if reinforced by a plug or bushing for "stiffness"... will require significantly higher dynamic tension stresses to see appreciable fatigue grack initiation & growth. Of course, all this comes at a hefty price for cold working tools, expendables, etc... and benefits will probably NOT be allowed [for certification purposes] by FAA-DERS due to possible production "slip-ups on-the-one-critical-hole-out-of-100,000".
CAUTION: on rare occasion cold worked holes or shot-peened surfaces [with surface compression and associated tension fields] can be affected in counter-intuative ways, IE: compression loads close to material yield can in-fact induce compression yield... which can then blow-away all fatigue-cracking initiation/growth predictions.
Regards, WK Taylor
Regards, Wil Taylor