Mechanical Behavior of Notched Plate Repaired with Polymer Composite and Smart Patches - Experimental Study

Abstract

This article deals with the experimental study of mechanical behavior of an edge-notched steel plate repaired by polymer composite and smart patches. The polymer composite patches are made of Kevlar/epoxy and glass/epoxy or a combination of both. The plate is single edge-notched with a constant length and the repair is done on both sides of the notched plate. Four types of patches are considered according to their lay-ups. Tensile, bending, and impact tests are conducted on the specimens according to ASTM standards. The results obtained are compared with the results for un-notched and un-repaired notched specimens. Patching has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the notched plate. The best patches in each loading case are reinforced with nickel—titanium shape memory wires and the repaired specimens with these smart patches are again tested in tension, bending, and impact loadings. Smart patches had a more significant effect on the above behavior as compared to composite patches.