Fatigue has long been recognized as a mechanism that can provoke catastrophic material failure in structural applications and researchers are now turning to the development of prediction tools in order to reduce the cost of determining design criteria for any new material. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites explains these highly scientific subjects in a simple yet thorough way. Fatigue behavior of fiber-reinforced composite materials and structural components is described through the presentation of numerous experimental results. Many examples help the reader to visualize the failure modes of laminated composite materials and structural adhesively bonded joints. Theoretical models, based on these experimental data, are demonstrated and their capacity for fatigue life modeling and prediction is thoroughly assessed. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites gives the reader the opportunity to learn about methods for modeling the fatigue behavior of fiber-reinforced composites, about statistical analysis of experimental data, and about theories for life prediction under loading patterns that produce multiaxial fatigue stress states. The authors combine these theories to establish a complete design process that is able to predict fatigue life of fiber-reinforced composites under multiaxial, variable amplitude stress states. A classic design methodology is presented for demonstration and theoretical predictions are compared to experimental data from typical material systems used in the wind turbine rotor blade industry. Fatigue of Fiber-reinforced Composites also presents novel computational methods for modeling fatigue behavior of composite materials, such as artificial neural networks and genetic programming, as a promising alternative to the conventional methods. It is an ideal source of information for researchers and graduate students in mechanical engineering, civil engineering and materials science.

A survey of work on the fatigue behavior of composites dealing with the problems met with by materials scientists and designers in aerospace, automotive, marine, and structural engineering. Including a historical review, standards, micromechanical aspects, life-prediction methods for constant stress and variable stress, and fatigue in practical situations.

This book covers several aspects of the fatigue behavior of textile and short fiber reinforced composites. The first part is dedicated to 2D and 3D reinforced textile composites and includes a systematic description of the damage evolution for quasi-static and tensile-tensile fatigue loadings. Acoustic emissions and digital image correlation are considered in order to detect the damage modes’ initiation and development. The acoustic emission thresholds of the quasi-static loading are connected to the “fatigue limit” of the materials with distinctions for glass and carbon reinforcements. The second part is devoted to the fatigue behavior of injection molded short fiber reinforced composites. Experimental evidence highlights the dependence of their fatigue response on various factors: fiber and matrix materials, fiber distribution, environmental and loading conditions are described. A hybrid (experimental/simulations) multi-scale method is presented, which drastically reduces the amount of experimental data necessary for reliable fatigue life predictions.

Fatigue in Composites provides extensive contemporary research on fatigue from internationally recognized researchers. Part I introduces the concept, delivering a historical review of the fatigue behavior of fibre-reinforced plastics and illustrating fatigue test methods and fatigue under multiaxial stress systems. Part II reviews current research on micromechanical aspects, emphasizing long-term behavior, interface performance, delamination and damage accumulation. Part III covers the analysis and testing of fatigue behavior. Part IV details physical , micromechanical, computational, statistical, and life-prediction models for constant and variable stress. The final sections offer an overview of the wide range of composite fatigue-related problems experienced by engineers.

Fatigue Life Prediction of Composites and Composite Structures, Second Edition, is a comprehensive review of fatigue damage and fatigue life modeling and prediction methodologies for composites and their use in practice. In this new edition, existing chapters are fully updated, while new chapters are introduced to cover the most recent developments in the field. The use of composites is growing in structural applications in many industries, including aerospace, marine, wind turbine and civil engineering. However, there are uncertainties about their long-term performance, including performance issues relating to cyclic fatigue loading that hinder the adoption of a commonly accepted credible fatigue design methodology for the life prediction of composite engineering structures. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, this book is a standard reference for industry professionals and researchers alike. Examines past, present and future trends associated with the fatigue life prediction of composite materials and structures Assesses novel computational methods for fatigue life modeling and prediction of composite materials under constant amplitude loading Covers a wide range of techniques for predicting fatigue, including their theoretical background and practical applications Addresses new topics and covers contemporary research developments in the field

This book provides the first comprehensive review of its kind on the long-term behaviour of composite materials and structures subjected to time variable mechanical, thermal, and chemical influences, a subject of critical importance to the design, development, and certification of high performance engineering structures. Specific topics examined include damage, damage characterization, and damage mechanics; fatigue testing and evaluation; fatigue behaviour of short and long fibre reinforced polymer and metal matrix materials; viscoelastic and moisture effects; delamination; statistical considerations; the modeling of cumulative damage development; and life prediction. The volume provides an extensive presentation of data, discussions, and comparisons on the behaviour of the major types of material systems in current use, as well as extensive analysis and modeling (including the first presentation of work not found elsewhere). The book will be of special interest to engineers concerned with reliability, maintainability, safety, certification, and damage tolerance; to materials developers concerned with making materials for long-term service, especially under severe loads and environments, and to lecturers, students, and researchers involved in material system design, performance, solid mechanics, fatigue, durability, and composite materials. The scope of the work extends from entry level material to the frontiers of the subject.

This third edition of a bestseller offers a current perspective on the mechanics, characteristics, test methods, applications, manufacturing processes, and design aspects of composites. Highlighting materials such as nanocomposites and smart materials, the book contains new information on material substitution, cost analysis, nano- and natural fibers, fiber architecture, carbon-carbon composites, thermoplastics matrix composites, resin transfer molding, and test methods such as fiber bundle tests and interlaminar fracture measurements. It presents a new chapter on polymer-based nanocomposites. New examples and additional problems emphasize problem-solving skills used in real-world applications.