The validity of the damage criterion for notched FRP plates based on the concept of severity near the notch root is subjected to further experimental scrutiny. An experimental program is presented which examines the effect of notch geometry on the damage near the notch root of FRP plates. This is accomplished by obtaining experimental data on the notched specimens of a glass cloth/epoxy laminate for a wide range of notch geometries in tension and bending. The process of initiation and growth of damage near the notch root was measured by means of the luminance measurement technique with a CCD camera. The experiment shows that the growth of damage zone near the notch root was governed predominantly by both the notch-root radius and the maximum elastic stress at the notch root, while it was independent of notch depth and type of loading. On the basis of the concept of severity, the experimental results can be clearly elucidated.
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