Fatigue in Composites

Fatigue in Composites: Science, Damage Mechanics, and Design Applications, Second Edition, provides an authoritative review of the current knowledge on the fatigue behavior of polymeric composites. It covers, in detail, a wide range of different problems encountered by designers in the automotive, marine, and structural engineering industries. Divided over three sections, the first section of chapters is designed to illustrate the advances in the investigation methodologies and the response of different composites under cyclic loadings, with special emphasis on damage mechanisms. The second section presents more advanced topics, such as the response of materials under in-service or extreme conditions, as well as theoretical developments and damage-based modeling approaches. In the third and final section, industrial cases and applications in different fields of engineering are discussed. Leading scientists from academia and industry have prepared the different chapters. Particular care has been devoted to coordinating the content, style, and philosophy behind the various chapters with the central aim to provide a consistent and coherent approach. Several new topics have been included that were not available in the first edition, in view of the recent advances, such as the availability of new investigation techniques and the development of new areas of activity. Particular emphasis has been given to the damage mechanics of composites subjected to fatigue loading, which is discussed from several different points of view: experimental investigation techniques, modeling approaches, and damage-based design procedures. Several other innovative topics include certification issues, the effects of processing and manufacturing-induced defects on the fatigue response, and structural health monitoring strategies and methods. This book is an essential reference resource for academic and industrial researchers, materials scientists, and engineers working on the design, analysis, and manufacture of composite material systems in various industrial sectors, including aerospace, automotive, marine, offshore, civil, and space.