Fracture of fatigue-loaded composite laminates

Abstract While the quasi-static fracture load of many composite laminates can be estimated with engineering accuracy, the fracture event itself has not been clearly characterized and is incompletely understood. When cyclic loading is present, the pre-fracture damage state is altered significantly, so that estimating strength (or residual strength) is greatly complicated. The present paper examines this complexity and attempts to assess the manner in which pre-fracture fatigue damage affects residual strength and the fracture event. It is found that the large strength reductions observed prior to failure at low load levels can be accounted for by internal stress redistribution and material degradation events. A careful chain of physical evidence in support of this approach is presented.