Effect of cooling rate on interlaminar fracture energy and shear strength of APC-2 laminates

The effect of cooling rate on some mechanical properties of APC-2/AS4 composite was investigated over the range between 1 and 70° C/min. Preconsolidated unidirectional laminates were reprocessed in a hot platen press at controlled cooling rates. Double Cantilever Beam specimens and End Notch Flexure specimens were used to determine the mode I...

Application of MAT device to characterize the adhesive bonding strength of membrane in orthotropic steel deck bridges

In order to characterize adequately the adhesive bonding strength of the various membranes with surrounding materials on orthotropic steel decks and collect the necessary parameters for FE modeling, details of the Membrane Adhesion Test (MAT) have been introduced. Analytical constitutive relations of MAT device have been derived on the basis of...

Delamination of Bonded Repairs: A Damage Tolerance Approach

A model was developed for delamination growth in bonded repair patches under constant amplitude fatigue loading. The model used the finite element method, employing the virtual crack closure technique, to determine the strain energy release rate (SERR) as a function of delamination length. Interaction effects between multiple delaminations, and...

Development of test method for assessing the bonding characteristics of membrane layers in wearing course laid on orthotropic steel bridge decks

In order to adequately characterize the adhesive bonding strength of the various membranes with surrounding materials on orthotropic steel decks and collect the necessary parameters for FE modeling, details of the Membrane Adhesion Test (MAT) are introduced. Analytical constitutive relations of the MAT device have been derived using the same...

Fatigue Crack Growth in Solid Round Metallic Bars with a Shoulder Fillet

Solid round bars with a shoulder fillet are frequently used in engineering structures because it facilitates a smooth transition in thickness. However, the presence of shoulder fillets is currently neglected in the prediction of fatigue crack growth in engineering practice. Since stress concentrating locations like a shoulder fillet can have a...

Modelling of membrane bonding response: Part 2 finite element simulations of membrane adhesion tests

The adhesive bonding strength of the membrane layers between the asphalt concrete surface layers and the decks of steel bridges has a strong influence on the fatigue life of orthotropic steel deck bridges (OSDBs). The interfacial properties between the membrane and the layers bonded to it have not been extensively studied in the current...

Loading rate dependency of strain energy release rate in mode I delamination of composite laminates

This work aims at studying the loading rate dependency of mode I delamination growth in CFRPs, using typical fracture toughness analysis through both the R-curve and the crack tip opening rate. The average SERR is a method of data reduction based on energy balance which has been previously introduced to characterize delamination growth under...

DIC-based monitoring on debonding crack propagation in wrapped composite joints

Wrapped composite joint is an innovative technique which connects steel hollow sections through bonding such that the fatigue performance is improved compared to welded joint. In this paper, a DIC-based method of monitoring surface strains is proposed to quantify the debonding crack propagation within the composite wrap layers during high cycle...

Peeling under large bending deformations: Follower versus fixed loads. A unified approach for concentrated or distributed loads

In the non-dissipative regime, the potential energy is the difference between the strain energy of the deforming solid and the work done by the external forces. For configuration-dependent external forces, whose direction is perpendicular to the deformed shape, we obtain a simple formula for the strain energy release rate of peeled strips...

Combined DIC and FEA method for analysing debonding crack propagation in fatigue experiments on wrapped composite joints

Wrapped composite joint is a novel joining technology which connects steel hollow sections through bonding, completely avoiding the welding in the load transferring mechanism. Fatigue performance of wrapped joints has been experimentally shown to be superior over their welded counterparts. Aiming to enable development of prediction methods...

Quasi-static and Fatigue Strength of Helically Wrapped Structures

A Helically wrapped structure is a hollow pipe structure that is made from a metal strip and the overlapping interfaces are adhesively joined. It is yet unknown how to determine the quasi-static strength and predict the fatigue life of this structure. A method was developed to determine whether either the adherend or the adhesive is critical to...