Abstract
A preliminary study was conducted regarding Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) for use in monitoring stiffness degradation of multi-directional GFRP laminated specimens during tension-tension fatigue loading. The specimens were made from a non-crimp fabric consisting of UD fibers stitched to a layer off-axis backing fiber bundles. The thermoelastic responses of the UD surface and backing fiber surface were compared. It was observed that the thermoelastic response differed between two faces of the fabric and was influenced by the presence of backing fibers on the surface.
Highlights
Laminated fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) have become an attractive choice for weight critical engineering applications because their layup can be optimized for the design loads
Large changes in temperature affect the specific heat of GFRP, which is estimated to increase by about 3% over the duration of this test according to the equations provided in [29]
The response of neither laminate matched the expectations from the simplified Classical Laminate Theory or Surface Resin Rich Layer methods, which suggests that further work is needed to account for additional effects
Summary
Laminated fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) have become an attractive choice for weight critical engineering applications because their layup can be optimized for the design loads. This positive attribute makes FRPs difficult to characterize, especially for fatigue behavior. Some models [8] use micro-mechanics to predict the degradation of thermo-mechanical properties of a laminate containing matrix cracks. Experimental study is a critical part of developing, calibrating, and verifying these fatigue models.
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