Experimental set-up for and numerical modelling of bending fatigue experiments on plain woven glass/epoxy composites

摘要

In general, fatigue of fibre-reinforced composite materials is a quite complex phenomenon, and a large research effort is being spent on it today. Due to deficiencies in the current life prediction methodologies for these materials, composite structures are often overdesigned: large factors of safety are adopted and extensive prototype-testing is required to allow for an acceptable life time prediction. This paper presents and investigation of the fatigue performance of plain woven glass/epoxy composite materials and of the numerical modelling of these composites' behaviour under fatigue. First, the experimental set-up, which has been developed for bending fatigue experiments, is discussed.