A computationally-efficient micromechanical model for the fatigue life of unidirectional composites under tension-tension loading
File(s)
Author(s)
Alves, Marco
Pimenta, S
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Failure of fibre-reinforced composites is affected by fatigue, which increases the challenge in designing safe and reliable composite structures. This paper presents an analytical model to predict the fatigue life of unidirectional composites under longitudinal tension-tension. The matrix and fibre-matrix interface are represented through a cohesive constitutive law, and a Paris law is used to model fatigue due to interfacial cracks propagating from fibre-breaks. The strength of single-fibres is modelled by a Weibull distribution, which is scaled hierarchically though a stochastic failure analysis of composite fibre-bundles, computing stochastic S-N curves of lab-scaled specimens in less than one minute. Model predictions are successfully validated against experiments from the literature. This model can be used to reduce the need for fatigue testing, and also to evaluate the impact of constituent properties on the fatigue life of composites.
Date Issued
2018-11
Date Acceptance
2018-05-14
Citation
International Journal of Fatigue, 2018, 116, pp.677-690
ISSN
0142-1123
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
677
End Page
690
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Fatigue
Volume
116
Copyright Statement
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Sponsor
European Commission
Royal Academy of Engineering
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142112318301889?via%3Dihub
Grant Number
RF/133
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Engineering, Mechanical
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Engineering
Materials Science
Micro-mechanics
Analytical modelling
Cohesive interface modelling
Fibre reinforced material
Fatigue
HIERARCHICAL SCALING LAW
FIBER-REINFORCED EPOXY
CARBON/EPOXY COMPOSITE
DELAMINATION GROWTH
POLYMER COMPOSITES
FRACTURE-TOUGHNESS
HYBRID COMPOSITES
COHESIVE ZONE
CRACK-GROWTH
FAILURE
0913 Mechanical Engineering
0905 Civil Engineering
Mechanical Engineering & Transports
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-05-22