Fatigue in Composite

Fibre composites, like metals, exhibit a form of degradation in service described as fatigue. Engineers must understand composite fatigue because it is a causative agent of design and structural failures. Engineers need to increase their knowledge of the mechanisms that result in degradation in order to predict the life of a composite under specified conditions and produce composites with greater durability. Fatigue in Composites provides an extensive account of contemporary research on fatigue from a selection of internationally recognized researchers.
Part I introduces the concept, delivering a historical review of the fatigue behavior of fibre-reinforced plastics and illustrating fatigue test methods and fatigue under multiaxial stress systems. Part II reviews current research on micromechanical aspects, emphasizing long-term behavior, interface performance, delamination, and damage accumulation.
Part III covers the analysis and testing of fatigue behavior. Part IV details physical, micromechanical, computational, statistical, and life-prediction models for constant and variable stress. The final sections offer an overview of the wide range of composite fatigue-related problems experienced by engineers in aerospace, marine, and structural engineering.
About the Author
Bryan Harris is Professor Emeritus at Bath University, where he served as Professor of Materials Science. Dr. Harris worked for ICI Metals Division and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, and was Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Composites Science and Technology. He also serves as Materials Consultant for Buro Happold Civil Engineers Ltd.