Experimental Investigation of the Static Behaviour of a Hole Drilled Steel Plate Reinforced with a Composite Patch

Abstract

Abstract: This paper presents an experimental investigation of the efficiency of a carbon/epoxy composite patch for reinforcing a steel plate with a central hole, loaded in static tension. Patches were laminated on one‐side of the steel plate using the conventional hand lay‐up method. Common, low cost composite materials were used, in an effort to assess the effectiveness of a repair or reinforcement that could be executed in situ in the harsh marine environment of a ship by properly trained crew personnel. Various methods were investigated for the steel surface preparation before patch lamination and corresponding roughness measurements were performed. Strains were monitored at three different positions of the specimens. Despite the low stiffness ratio of the patch reinforcements, experimental measurements indicated an extension of the linear response of the specimens, a smoother transition to plasticity and an increase in the failure load ranging from 30% to 50%.