Application of fracture mechanics in designing built-up sheet structures

Past experience has shown that during the operational life of an aircraft structure cracks or failures may arise in different structural components. In future designs the designer must be able on the one hand to restrict the occurrence of cracks by a careful detail design and on the other hand to guarantee some specified life of the aircraft if...

An investigation of crack resistance in face sheets of sandwich panels

Sandwich panels provided with a central saw cut in one face layer were fatigue tested to study crack growth up to a predetermined length. Static residual strength was determined subsequently. Crack growth rates and residual strength are compared with similar data for face sheet material. An increased resistance against both stable fatigue crack...