High performance structures require the use of different materials to meet their demanding requirements. Especially fibre reinforced polymer composites are nowadays often bonded to metals in order to take the most advantage of the materials properties and to minimize their disadvantages. However, the interface in such bi-material assemblies often represents the weakest point and thus has to be carefully addressed to ensure structural integrity. This review paper presents an overview of the research on bi-material interface crack problems over the past 30 years. Three categories of the research are discussed: mechanical testing, crack driving force and mode partitioning. The literature reveals that the key element to the fracture analysis of the bi-material interface crack is how to perform the mode partitioning. The proposed theories for mode partitioning by many researchers are meaningful yet underdeveloped and need further experimental validation.

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Adhesive bonding is a highly desirable joining technique to join composites to metals. The surfaces of both composite and metal substrates have to be carefully treated before bonding them together, in order to avoid interface failure between the adherend's surface and adhesive. This paper describes the surface pretreatments on carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and Titanium for the manufacturing of adhesively bonded CFRP-Titanium joints. Different treatments were applied in order to roughen and activate both substrate surfaces. The quality of the surface pretreatment using different treatment methods was initially checked by contact angle measurements. Destructive tests on the bonded specimens after various surface pretreatments, including those which provided the lowest contact angle, were performed to validate the mechanical performance of the surface treatment on the bond quality. The test procedure and results on adhesively bonded CFRP-CFRP specimens and Titanium-Titanium specimens will be presented and discussed. 100% cohesive failure in both CFRP-CFRP and Titanium-Titanium joint types guarantees the high quality of the adhesively bonded joints, and proves that the respective surface pretreatments on CFRP and Titanium excludes adhesive failures in bonded CFRP-Titanium joints.

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The dissemination of composite materials introduces applications of hybrid structures with composite and metal parts. The development of reliable methodologies to evaluate the performance of these structures is required. In this work, the mixed-mode fracture behaviour of a bi-material adhesively bonded joint is investigated. A new strain-based criterion for the design of the mixed-mode bending (MMB) bi-material specimen is suggested. A new analytical partitioning method based on the ‘global method’ is proposed and tested on a composite-to-metal bonded joint and compared with a finite element model using the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT). The results show that the proposed strain-based design methodology can be successfully used in MMB test for bi-material joints. The fracture mode partitioning is accurately predicted by the analytical method. However, the absolute values of the strain energy release rate (SERR) predicted by the analytical method are only accurate if the shear deformation in the test is not significant.

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A challenge in developing an in-depth understanding of the crack growth resistance of Additively Manufactured materials is the fact that their mechanical properties have been shown to be both process and part-geometry dependent. Up to now, no studies have investigated the influence of off-axis (beyond the three orthogonal build orientations) orientations on the fatigue crack growth behaviour of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V. Furthermore, the widespread use of compact tension specimens for investigating the material behaviour generates data more suitable for plane-strain conditions, rather than the plane-stress state which is more applicable to many lightweight aerospace structures. To address this gap in knowledge, a comprehensive study was carried out to investigate the influence of off-axis build direction in thin SLM Ti-6Al-4V plates, with a focus on the influence of columnar grain orientation on the fatigue crack growth behaviour. It was found that although a macroscopic columnar grain structure is visible on the specimens, it had no discernible influence on the crack growth resistance when the specimen had undergone a stress relieving or HIP heat treatment.@en

An essential question to predict the structural integrity of bi-material bonded joints is how to obtain their fracture properties under pure mode I. From open literature, it is found that the most commonly used design criterion to test mode I fracture is matching the flexural stiffnesses of the two adherents in a DCB coupon. However, the material asymmetry in such designed joints results in mode II fracture as well. In this paper, a new design criterion is proposed to obtain pure mode I fracture in adhesively bonded bi-material DCB joints by matching the longitudinal strain distributions of the two adherends at the bondline - longitudinal strain based criterion. A test program and Finite Element modelling have been carried out to verify the proposed design criterion using composite-metal bonded DCB joints. Both the experimental and numerical results show that pure mode I can be achieved in bi-material joints designed with the proposed criterion. G_II/G_I ratio is reduced by a factor of 5 when using the proposed longitudinal strain based criterion in comparison with the flexural stiffness based criterion.

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An essential question to predict the structural integrity of bi-material bonded joints is how to obtain their fracture properties under pure mode I. From open literature, it is found that the most commonly used design criterion to test mode I fracture is matching the flexural stiffnesses of the two adherents in a DCB coupon. However, the material asymmetry in such designed joints results in mode II fracture as well. In this paper, a new design criterion is proposed to obtain pure mode I fracture in adhesively bonded bi-material DCB joints by matching the longitudinal strain distributions of the two adherends at the bondline - longitudinal strain based criterion. A test program and Finite Element modelling have been carried out to verify the proposed design criterion using composite-metal bonded DCB joints. Both the experimental and numerical results show that pure mode I can be achieved in bi-material joints designed with the proposed criterion. G_II/G_I ratio is reduced by a factor of 5 when using the proposed longitudinal strain based criterion in comparison with the flexural stiffness based criterion.

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In the context of the prevalence of thin-walled metallic aerospace structures, the added resistance to crack propagation offered by a built-up structure is desirable from a damage tolerance standpoint. The analysis of failure in such structures, however, is limited by the lack of crack opening solutions. This paper develops analytical models that calculate crack opening displacements (CODs) for a more general cracking scenario, i.e. non-symmetric cracks. The proposed models are based on the Westergaard stress functions. It is then found that the COD solution of one model is particularly accurate. The potential significance of the obtained solutions lies in analysing failure in built-up structures containing non-symmetric cracks. The crack opening solution is particularly useful in estimating the load transfer between cracked body and intact bridging structures in built-up structures using the principle of displacement compatibility.

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Mechanically fastened joints are susceptible to the presence of multiple-site damage (MSD) cracks in the critical fastener row. Different from the MSD growth in joints consisting of metallic substrates, the two coupled metal crack growth and interfacial delamination propagation failure mechanisms in Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) make the prediction of fatigue behaviour in FML joints with MSD scenario burdensome and impractical when considering all factors influencing the fatigue performance. This paper presents a theoretical study on the MSD crack growth behaviour in mechanically fastened FML joints with a focus of modelling the effects of bearing and bypass loads. The proposed model in this paper is built upon analytical models dealing with MSD growth in flat FML panels and single crack growth in FML panels subjected to a combined tension-pin loading case. This model would be particularly useful for symmetric FML joints where no secondary bending effects present. A deliberately designed symmetric FML joint was tested to validate the proposed model. The model captures the rapid crack growth in the vicinity of fastener holes due to bearing stresses and crack acceleration due to the interaction of cracks. It is identified that the load redistribution between intact fastener rows and the cracked fastener row accelerates crack growth with crack length. The effects of secondary bending stresses in FML joints on the crack growth behaviour is extensively discussed. The performance of the proposed model for single lap FML joints is also examined using test data from open literature. It is found that the proposed model provides a conservative prediction for the tested single shear lap FML joint from open literature.@en

A challenge in developing an in-depth understanding of the crack growth resistance of ALM materials is the fact that mechanical properties of additive manufactured materials have been shown to be both process and part-geometry dependent. Up to now, no studies have investigated the influence of off-axis (beyond the three orthogonal build orientations) orientations on the fatigue crack growth behaviour of selective laser melted Ti-6Al-4V. Furthermore, the widespread use of compact tension specimens for investigating the material behaviour generates data more suitable for plane-strain conditions, rather than the plane-stress state which is more applicable to many lightweight aerospace structures. To address this gap in knowledge, a comprehensive study was carried out to investigate the influence of off-axis build direction in thin SLM Ti-6Al-4V plates, with a focus on the influence of microstructure anisotropy on the fatigue crack growth behaviour. It was found that although an anisotropic grain structure is visible on the specimens, it had no discernible influence on the crack growth resistance when the specimen had undergone a stress relieving heat treatment.@en

Fibre metal laminates (FMLs)were developed and refined for their superior crack growth resistance and critical damage size that complimented the damage tolerance design philosophy utilized in the aerospace sector. Robust damage tolerance tools have been developed for FMLs. However, they tend to focus on the evolution of an isolated crack. There is also a risk that they will be invalidated overtime as a result of the occurrence of multiple cracks within one structure (one form of widespread fatigue damage). To combat another failure due to widespread fatigue damage, the airworthiness regulations were revised to include the concept of a Limit of Validity (LOV) of the damage tolerance analyses. Consequently, it is crucial to examine fatigue crack growth (FCG) in FMLs containing Multiple-site Damage (MSD) cracks despite their superior damage tolerance merits. The focus of this thesis therefore is to analyse MSD crack growth in FML structures. Mechanically fastened FML joints are potentially weak structural designs that are susceptible to MSD due to the stress rising contributors such as secondary bending, pin loading and open holes subjected to bypass loading. In this thesis, predictive models were developed to address several key mechanisms that affect FCG in FML joints containing MSD, and validated with corresponding experimental work. Then the predictive models were systematically integrated and implemented for FML joints. It was identified that the nature of fatigue in FMLs led to the load redistribution mechanism as the key factor to be modelled in predicting MSD growth in FMLs. The structural stiffness reductions caused by the presence of multiple cracks resulted in load redistribution from the other cracks to the single crack to be analysed, exacerbating the total stress intensity factor (SIF) experienced at the tips of the single crack, increasing the crack growth rate (CGR). The load redistribution mechanism was first substantiated by investigating FCG in FMLs containing discretely notched layers. The prediction model fairly captured the load redistribution mechanism by idealizing the notches in the metal layers as removals of metal strips. The crack acceleration over a major portion of the crack propagation was well predicted with the model; however, the surge in CGR over roughly 3 mm crack length prior to the link-up was underestimated since the plasticity interaction was not accounted for. The capability of modelling the load redistribution mechanism allows the states of multiple cracks to be analysed one by one. It was found that the load redistribution could not be symmetric for every crack and non-symmetric crack configurations therefore developed in FMLs with finite width. Hence, non-symmetric crack growth in FMLs was also investigated in this work. It was also found that both crack tip non-symmetry and delamination shape non-symmetry affected the crack growth in the metal layers. The model for non-symmetric crack growth in FMLs was validated with experimental data. Good correlation was observed. The model for MSD growth in FML panels sequentially analyses each crack state. The other cracks are idealized as removals of metal strips when analyzing the state of a single crack. This non-physical idealization of the cracks led to consistently conservative prediction results in comparison with the test data. Nevertheless, the prediction model provided good predictions of the evolution of MSD configurations. Additionally, it was proven that a very non-conservative predicted fatigue life could be obtained if the load redistribution mechanism was not considered. The effects of pin loading on FCG in FMLs were also investigated. The test data showed very rapid growth of the crack in the vicinity of the pin loading. The CGR decreased with increasing crack length. The model applied the principle of superposition to split the non-symmetric tension-pin loading into simpler tensile loading and a pair of point loads acting on the crack flanks. The SIFs for the simpler loading cases were derived and superposed to obtain the total SIF as a result of the tension-pin loading. The predicted CGR and equivalent delamination shape correlated with the measurements very well, but the model failed to predict the crack path and the measured delamination shape which were trivial issues for this work. The relevance and applicability of the developed models in this thesis for predicting the MSD behaviour in mechanically fastened FML joints was examined. The predicted results captured the trends of the measured CGR in FML joints containing MSD cracks, although there were some discrepancies. The discrepancies are mainly due to the two major shortcomings of the model which are neglecting the load redistribution over multiple fastener rows and neglecting the effects of secondary bending stresses. @en

This paper proposes an analytical model for predicting the non-symmetric crack growth and accompanying delamination growth in FMLs. The general approach of this model applies Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics, the principle of superposition, and displacement compatibility based on the understanding of deformation behaviour in eccentrically cracked metal panels. The non-symmetric crack growth behaviour of two crack tips and accompanying asymmetric load transfer from the eccentrically cracked metal layers to the intact bridging fibres are successfully predicted with the model. The predicted crack growth rates and delamination evolution are compared to test data, good correlation is observed.@en

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study on Multiple-site Damage (MSD) crack growth behaviour in Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs). The prediction model is developed based on a simplified analysis of the effects of load redistribution on a single crack in FMLs containing multiple cracks. Test results show that the crack growth accelerates as cracks grow towards each other. The tests also show non-symmetric crack growth behaviour and non-symmetric interfacial delamination propagation in case of multiple cracks. The prediction model successfully captures the crack growth acceleration and non-symmetric growth behaviour.@en

Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) are a hybrid metal-composite laminate technology known for their superior resistance to fatigue crack growth compared to monolithic metals. This crack growth behaviour has been the subject of many studies, resulting in numerous empirical and analytical models to describe the complex damage growth phenomenon in the material. This study builds upon the analytical Alderliesten crack growth prediction methodology for FMLs, extending it from a tension loaded plate to a case of a combined tension-pin loaded plate. This new loading case is a more representative case to utilise for predicting fatigue crack growth behaviour in mechanically fastened joints. Development of the model extension and validation through experimental testing are detailed within this paper.@en

Fibre Metal Laminates (FMLs) are a hybrid metal-composite laminate technology known for their superior resistance to fatigue crack growth compared to monolithic metals. This crack growth behaviour has been the subject of many studies, resulting in numerous empirical and analytical models to describe the complex damage growth phenomenon in the material. This study builds upon the analytical Alderliesten crack growth prediction methodology for FMLs, extending it from a tension loaded plate to a case of a combined tension-pin loaded plate. This new loading case is a more representative case to utilise for predicting fatigue crack growth behaviour in mechanically fastened joints. Development of the model extension and validation through experimental testing are detailed within this paper.@en

This paper provides an experimental investigation into the pin loading effects on the crack growth behaviour in Fibre Metal Laminates. The pin loading effects and bypass loading effects are incorporated in two different tested joints. The analysis of the test results shows that pin loading dominates the crack growth only in the vicinity of the pin hole and the superposition method for analysing stress intensity factor in FMLs with pin loading effects can be applied. @en