An experimental investigation into quasi-static and fatigue damage development in bolted-hole specimens

An extensive experimental program has been carried out to investigate and understand the sequence of damage development throughout the life of bolted-hole composite laminates under quasi-static loading and tension–tension fatigue. Quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates, with stacking sequence [45₂/90₂/-45₂/0₂]_S defined as ply scaled and [45/90/-45/0]_2S defined as sub-laminate scaled, were used. Specimens were cycled at 5 Hz with various amplitudes to 1 × 10⁶ cycles unless failure occurred prior to this limit. For all cases an R ratio of 0.1 was used. Bolt washer pressures of 23 MPa and 70 MPa were investigated. For the ply-level case, the quasi-static test showed both delamination and fibre-dominated pull-out failures for a washer pressure of 23 MPa, and pull-out failure only for 70 MPa. Delamination dominates in fatigue tests. For the sub-laminate case the tests failed by pull-out in both quasi-static and fatigue tests for all washer pressures. It is shown in this paper how the role of delamination is critical in the case of fatigue loading and how this interacts with bolt clamp-up forces. A number of tests were analysed for damage using X-ray CT scanning and comparisons of damage are made with tests from previous open-hole studies.     

A comparison of as-fatigue and re-consolidation residual properties for notched quasi-isotropic [0/45/90/−45]2S and cross-ply [0/90]4S AS4/PEEK composite laminates

A comparison of the as-fatigued and re-consolidated properties have been made between notched quasi-isotropic [0/45/90/−45]_2S and cross-ply [0/90]_4S AS4/PEEK laminates. For the former, the ±45° plies tend to constrain longitudinal damage development so that damage growth primarily occurred in the transverse direction, causing more widespread damage. This led to prominent mechanical properties degradation, shorter fatigue lives and lower residual strengths. For cross-ply laminates, quick and extensive longitudinal crack tangential to the hole and the corresponding 90° fiber shear off brought about effective stress concentration alleviation. This discouraged further damage development. Hence, their fatigue lives exceeded one million cycles even at high cyclic stress levels and their residual strengths were significantly higher than their virgin strength. On the other hand, the re-consolidation process removed most of the defects that alleviated the stress concentration and thus decreased the strengths. Detailed study of the residual strength changes and damage development history revealed that the residual as-fatigued and re-consolidated strengths were governed by the competition between local structural decay and its resulting stress concentration alleviation.     

Damage monitoring and analysis of composite laminates with an open hole and adhesively bonded repairs using digital image correlation

High performance composite materials, such as Carbon–Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composites, are being increasingly used in aerospace industry, such as fuselage primary structures in Boeing 787 or Airbus 350, where high strength and stiffness are required at minimum weight [1]. The design of composite structures frequently includes discontinuities such as cut-outs for access and fastener holes for joining and they become critical regions under thermo-mechanical loading. Understanding of notched specimen behaviour is necessary for the design of complex structures where parts are mostly connected with bolts and rivets [2]. The effect of these discontinuities on the behaviour of composite materials is an important topic because it causes a relatively large reduction in strength compared to the unnotched laminate [3]. In the first part of the current work, the assessment of the damage process taking place in notched (open-hole) specimens under uniaxial tensile loading was studied. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques were employed to obtain full-field surface strain measurements in carbon–fibre/epoxy M21/T700 composite plates with different stacking sequences in the presence of an open circular hole. Penetrant enhanced X-ray radiographs were taken to identify damage location and extent after loading around the hole. DIC strain fields were compared to numerical predictions. In the second part of the study, DIC techniques were used to characterise damage and performance of adhesively bonded patch repairs in composite panels under tensile loading. This part of work relates to strength/stiffness restoration of damaged composite aircraft that becomes more important as composites are used more extensively in the construction of modern jet airliners. In the current work, external bonded patches have been studied. Adhesively bonded repairs are the most common type of repair carried out with composite materials [1], [4]. The behaviour of bonded patches under loading was monitored using DIC full-field strain measurements. Location and extent of damage identified by X-ray radiography correlates well with DIC strain results giving confidence to the technique for structural health monitoring of bonded patches.     

Potential fatigue strength improvement of AA 5083-H111 notched parts by wire brush hammering: Experimental analysis and numerical simulation

The effects of milling as machining process and a post-machining treatment by wire-brush hammering, on the near surface layer characteristics of AA 5083-H111 were investigated. Surface texture, work-hardening and residual stress profiles were determined by roughness measurement, scanning electron microscope (SEM) examinations, microhardness and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The effects of surface preparation on the fatigue strength were assessed by bending fatigue tests performed on notched samples for two loading stress ratios R_0.1 and R_0.5. It is found that the bending fatigue limit at R_0.1 and 10⁷ cycles is 20% increased, with respect to the machined surface, by wire-brush hammering. This improvement was discussed on the basis of the role of surface topography, stabilized residual stress and work-hardening on the fatigue-crack network nucleation and growth. The effects biaxial residual stress field and surface work-hardening were taken into account in the finite element model. A multi-axial fatigue criterion was proposed to predict the fatigue strength of aluminum alloy notched parts for both machined and treated states.     

Influence of the fiber/matrix strength on the mechanical properties of a glass fiber/thermoplastic-matrix plain weave fabric composite

In this work, we analyze the influence of different fiber surface treatments on the mechanical properties of plain weave composites. The reinforcement is a glass fibers fabric and the matrix is an acrylic polymer. Until very recently, this thermoplastic polymer family was not used in composite industry. It is therefore necessary to study if the existing fiber surface treatments are suitable for acrylic resins or if new ones have to be found. At the macroscale, composite materials corresponding to different fiber surface treatments were characterized with: (i) monotonic in-plane shear tests and (ii) heat-build up fatigue measurements on specimens with ±45° fiber orientations with respect to the tensile force. At the mesoscale (fabric scale), the development of damage was experimentally analyzed from (i) 3-D DIC (Digital Image Correlation) full-field strain measurements with spatial resolution smaller than the textile repeating unit and (ii) X-ray microtomography. We show that the analyzed composite materials exhibit linear viscoelastic behavior until a given stress threshold above which damage develops in the material. It was also found that the application on the fibers of a coupling agent specifically developed for promoting the bond between glass fibers and acrylic resins improves the composite mechanical properties, in particular the fatigue properties.     

An investigation into the damage development and residual strengths of open-hole specimens in fatigue

An extensive experimental program was carried out to investigate and understand the sequence of damage development throughout the life of open-hole composite laminates loaded in tension–tension fatigue. Quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates, with stacking sequence [45₂/90₂/−45₂/0₂]_S, [45/90/−45/0]_2S and [45/90/−45/0]_4S were examined. These were selected on the basis that under quasi-static loading the [45₂/90₂/−45₂/0₂]_S configuration exhibited a delamination dominated mode of failure whilst the [45/90/−45/0]_2S and [45/90/−45/0]_4S configurations showed a fibre dominated failure mode, previously described as “pull-out” and “brittle” respectively. Specimens were fatigue loaded to 1 × 10⁶ cycles or catastrophic failure, which ever occurred first. A number of tests were interrupted at various points as the stiffness dropped with increasing cycles, which were inspected using X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning. A static residual strength program was carried out for run-out specimens of each configuration.     

Residual properties of notched [0/90]4S AS4/PEEK composite laminates after fatigue and re-consolidation

Notch fatigue strengthening under different cyclic stress levels and elapsed number of cycles has been studied in [0/90]_4S AS4/PEEK laminates. Quick and extensive 0° fiber splitting and the corresponding 90° fiber shear off were found to be the underlying causes of stress concentration alleviation. This effectively raised the residual strength of the notched laminates and increased their fatigue lives to beyond one million cycles. On the other hand, re-consolidation of fatigued specimens removed most of the internal damages and in the meantime reverses the above strengthening. Detailed study of the residual strength changes and damage development history using re-consolidation lent support to the above deductions on the notch fatigue strengthening phenomenon in [0/90]_4S AS/PEEK laminate.     

基于模态频率的缺口梁疲劳裂纹扩展寿命预测

从试验出发,研究了含V型缺口悬臂梁在循环载荷作用下的疲劳裂纹扩展特性及其模态频率变化规律,分析了模态频率与裂纹扩展增量间的关联性。将裂纹扩展增量作为损伤参量,建立了基于模态频率下降率与损伤参量的关系。基于损伤力学,建立了裂纹损伤与循环加载次数的演化模型。结合模态频率下降率与裂纹损伤参量的关系,提出了一种基于模态频率下降率的缺口梁疲劳裂纹扩展寿命预测方法,实现了基于当前裂纹损伤和对应循环次数的疲劳裂纹扩展剩余寿命预测。结果表明,模态频率下降率对缺口梁的疲劳裂纹扩展寿命敏感,该方法预测的疲劳裂纹扩展寿命与实测的疲劳裂纹扩展寿命基本吻合。     

A damage gradient model for fatigue life prediction of notched metallic structures under multiaxial random vibrations

In the present paper, a damage gradient model combing the damage concept with the theory of critical distance (TCD) is established to estimate the fatigue lives of notched metallic structures under multiaxial random vibrations. Firstly, a kind of notched metallic structure is designed, and the biaxial random vibration fatigue tests of the notched metallic structures are carried out under different correlation coefficients and phase differences between two vibration axes. Then, the fatigue lives of the notched metallic structures are evaluated utilizing the proposed model with the numerical simulations. Finally, the proposed model is validated by the experiment results of the biaxial random vibration fatigue tests. The comparison results demonstrate that the proposed model can provide fatigue life estimation with high accuracy.     

An experimental analysis of fracture mechanisms of short glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6,6 (SGFR-PA66)

In the present work, toughness of unfilled polyamide 6,6 (PA66) and short glass fibre reinforced polyamide 6,6 (SGFR-PA66) was investigated. Digital image correlation (DIC) was used with a single camera for in-plane displacement field measurement and then strain computation. The results allowed to extract the resistance curve for the PA66 and critical stress intensity factors, K_Ic, for the SGFR-PA66 with three glass fibre contents (15%, 30% and 50% (wt)) and under room temperature (20 °C). The tests were carried out on single edge notched tension (SENT) specimens. The DIC technique allowed to precise the spatial distribution of the local strains in a defined region including the crack tip at different steps of the loading. Scanning electron microscopy observations illustrated different damage mechanisms occurring in the studied composites: matrix crack, fibre–matrix interface failure and fibres pull out.     

3D damage characterisation and the role of voids in the fatigue of wind turbine blade materials

The fatigue mechanisms of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) used in wind turbine blades were examined using computed tomography (CT). Prior to mechanical testing, as-manufactured [+45/−45/0]_3,s glass/epoxy specimens were CT scanned to provide 3-dimensional images of their internal microstructure, including voids. Voids were segmented and extracted, and individual characteristics and volumetric distributions were quantified. The coupons were then fatigue tested in uniaxial loading at R = −1% to 40% of the nominal tensile failure stress. Some tests were conducted to failure for correlation with the initial void analysis and to establish failure modes. Other tests were stopped at various life fractions and examined using CT to identify key damage mechanisms. These scans revealed transverse matrix cracking in the surface layer, occurring predominantly at free edges. These free-edge cracks then appeared to facilitate edge delamination at the 45/−45° interface. Propagation from sub-critical, surface ply damage to critical, inner ply damage was identified with either a −45/0° delamination, or a 0° fibre tow failure allowing a crack to propagate into the specimen bulk. Final failure occurred in compression and was characterised by total delamination between all the 45/−45° plies. A quantitative void analysis, taken from the pre-test CT scans, was also performed and compared against the specimens’ fatigue lives. This analysis, to the authors’ knowledge the first of its kind, measured and plotted approximately 10,000 voids within the gauge length of each specimen. The global void measurement parameters and distributions showed no correlation with fatigue life. A local ply-level investigation revealed a significant correlation between the largest void and fatigue life in the region of the laminate associated with the crack propagation from sub-critical to critical damage.     

Fatigue residual strength of circular laminate graphite–epoxy composite plates damaged by transverse load

The research dealt with the relation between damage and tension–tension fatigue residual strength (FRS) in a quasi-isotropic carbon fibre reinforced epoxy resin laminate. The work was organized in two phases: during the first one, composite laminates were damaged by means of an out-of-plane quasi-static load that was supposed to simulate a low velocity impact; in the second phase, fatigue tests were performed on damaged and undamaged specimens obtained from the original composite laminates. During the quasi-static transverse loading phase, damage progression was monitored by means of acoustic emission (AE) technique. The measurement of the strain energy accumulated in the specimens and of the acoustic energy released by fracture events made it possible to estimate the amount of induced damage and evaluate the quasi-static residual tensile strength of the specimens. A probabilistic failure analysis of the fatigue data, reduced by the relative residual strength values, made it possible to relate the FRS of damaged specimens with the fatigue strength of undamaged ones.     

Analysis of Fatigue and Crack Growth in Carbon-Fiber Epoxy Matrix Composite Laminates

A study of high frequency fatigue in carbon-fiber reinforced composites has been undertaken. A comparison has been made between the fatigue behavior of crossply (0° / 90°) and angleply (± 45°) carbon/epoxy unnotched and notched laminates. Additionally, a micromechanical analysis of fracture surfaces performed by scanning electron microscopy was carried out to evaluate the micromechanisms that occurred during fatigue. Experimental observations indicate that fatigue damage consists of a combination of matrix cracks, longitudinal splitting, fiber fracture, and delamination. In order to minimize the effects of residual strain due to temperature rise, a method is proposed for determining real fatigue strength at the level of variable load not lower than the fatigue limit, at which residual strains are minimal.     

Evaluating the localised through-thickness load transfer and damage initiation in a composite joint using digital image correlation

Experimental analysis of the stresses and strains in a glass fibre polymer composite double butt strap joint using digital image correlation (DIC) is described in the paper. Initially the strain fields through the thickness of the joint are derived from DIC measurements, capturing the effect of the initiation and development of cracks in the joint up to failure. It is demonstrated that the relatively small strains developed in the through-thickness direction are critical in the development of damage in the joint at the geometric discontinuity between the adherends. An experimental methodology is established to perform DIC at the mesoscopic scale, enabling accurate, high spatial resolution analysis of the small through-thickness strains around the discontinuity. The DIC enables the strains to be evaluated, their development monitored and hence establish their contribution to the failure process. To determine the full-field stresses in the joint experimentally derived materials properties are used. From component stress maps principal stresses maps are derived, which clearly show where the damage is initiating and its subsequent growth in the composite adherends until final failure of the joint.     

Intraply fracture of fiber-reinforced composites: Microscopic mechanisms and modeling

The fracture behavior parallel to the fibers of an E-glass/epoxy unidirectional laminate was studied by means of three-point tests on notched beams. Selected tests were carried out within a scanning electron microscope to ascertain the damage and fracture micromechanisms upon loading. The mechanical behavior of the notched beam was simulated within the framework of the embedded cell model, in which the actual composite microstructure was resolved in front of the notch tip. In addition, matrix and interface properties were independently measured in situ using a nanoindentor. The numerical simulations very accurately predicted the macroscopic response of the composite as well as the damage development and crack growth in front of the notch tip, demonstrating the ability of the embedded cell approach to simulate the fracture behavior of heterogeneous materials. Finally, this methodology was exploited to ascertain the influence of matrix and interface properties on the intraply toughness.     

Notch effect on creep–fatigue life for Sn–3.5Ag solder

This paper studies the creep–fatigue crack initiation and failure lives of Sn–3.5Ag solder notched specimens focused on the multiaxial strain at the notch root. Push–pull creep–fatigue tests were performed using three circumferential notched specimens using four kinds of creep–fatigue strain waveforms. Multiaxial strains at the notched section were calculated by finite element (FE) analysis under four kinds of creep–fatigue loading. Creep–fatigue damage laws were applied for evaluating the crack initiation and failure lives using the multiaxial strains obtained by the FE analysis. von Mises equivalent strain at the notch root estimated the crack initiation lives with a large scatter as well as the failure lives. Instead, the mean value of von Mises equivalent strain over the cross section of the notch root estimated the crack initiation and failure lives with a small scatter.     

Fatigue behavior of X70 microalloyed steel after severe shot peening

The so called “severe plastic deformation” (SPD) processes are object of increasing interest due to their ability to obtain a nanostructured surface layer of material with supposed superior properties. Among these processes, severe shot peening (SSP) is very attractive from an industrial point of view, due to its versatility and wide applicability.In this study the X70 microalloyed steel is considered and treated by severe shot peening.Fatigue tests were performed to assess how SSP treatment affects the fatigue behavior of this steel.Roughness and X-ray diffraction residual stress measurements as well as microscopy observations have been carried out on the treated specimens. Rotating bending fatigue tests at room temperature on smooth and notched specimens were performed to evaluate the effect of the treatment on fatigue strength. Fracture surfaces have been then observed by scanning electron microscopy. The results were compared with the ones of a series of not peened specimens and another series of specimens shot peened with conventional parameters and interpreted by considering the characteristics of the nanostructured layer, the induced residual stresses and the surface work hardening. The comparison shows a very significant fatigue strength improvement for severely shot peened specimens, especially for the notched specimens.     

Scaling of fracture response in Over-height Compact Tension tests

An experimental investigation into in-plane scaled Over-height Compact Tension (OCT) [45/90/−45/0]_4s carbon/epoxy laminates was carried out to study the scaling of fracture response. The dimensions of the baseline specimens were scaled up and down by a factor of 2. Interrupted tests were carried out for specimens of each size in which the tests were stopped after certain load drops in order to study the failure mechanisms. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanning was applied after the interrupted tests to examine the damage development and its effect on the fracture response. The test results showed that the scaling of the initial propagation of fracture follows Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), but the development of the damage process zone differs with specimen sizes. The OCT specimens were found to be not large enough to generate a self-similar damage zone during propagation, and so no conclusions could be drawn regarding the R-curve effect.     

Quantification of flexural fatigue life and 3D damage in carbon fibre reinforced polymer laminates

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminated composites have become attractive in the application of wind turbine blade structures. The cyclic load in the blades necessitates the investigation on the flexural fatigue behaviour of CFRP laminates. In this study, the flexural fatigue life of the [+45/−45/0]_2s CFRP laminates was determined and then analysed statistically. X-ray microtomography was conducted to quantitatively characterise the 3D fatigue damage. It was found that the fatigue life data can be well represented by the two-parameter Weibull distribution; the life can be reliably predicted as a function of applied deflections by the combined Weibull and Sigmodal models. The delamination at the interfaces in the 1st ply group is the major failure mode for the flexural fatigue damage in the CFRP laminate. The calculated delamination area is larger at the interfaces adjacent to the 0 ply. The delamination propagation mechanism is primarily matrix/fibre debonding and secondarily matrix cracking.     

Development and validation of a probabilistic model for notch fatigue strength prediction of tool steels based on surface defects

A new model for the high cycle notch fatigue strength prediction of tool steels subjected to axial loading is proposed, based on previous literatures studies and experimental tests carried out on six different tool steels, including rotating bending fatigue tests on notched specimens, fractographic analyses, hardness, residual stress, and roughness measurements. The novelty is the assumption that surface defects are the main cause of notch fatigue failures of such steels. A probabilistic approach was implemented by modeling size distributions of defects, resulting in the prediction of normal distributions of fatigue strength. Like to other previous models, the effect of steel hardness, surface residual stress, notch severity, and specimen size was also taken into account. Model calibration and validation were performed using the data collected by the experimental activity. Model behavior was investigated by performing a sensitivity analysis, aiming to verify the response to variations of the considered input variables. Prediction errors of only 1.3% (on average) and 3.1% (maximum) resulted from the comparison between model-predicted and experimental notch fatigue strength.