• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.599-608
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• 2002

Finite element analysis for the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the skin/stiffener structure with inclined central crack repaired by composite stiffened panels is developed. A numerical investigation was conducted to characterize the fracture behavior and crack growth behavior at the inclined crack. In order to investigate the crack growth direction, maximum tangential stress (MTS) criterion are used. Also, this paper is to study the performance of the effective bonded composite patch repair of a plate containing an inclined central through-crack. The main objective of this research is the validation of the inclined crack patching design. In this paper, the reduction of stress intensity factors at the crack-tip and prediction of crack growth direction are determined to evaluate the effects of various non-dimensional design parameter including; composite patch thickness and stiffener distance. We report the results of finite element analysis on the stiffener locations and crack slant angles and discuss them in this paper. The research on cracked structure subjected to mixed mode loading is accomplished and concludes that more work using a different approaches is necessary. The authors hope the present study will aid those who are responsible for the repair of damaged aircraft structures and also provide general repair guidelines.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.685-692
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• 2017

In this study, the effect of various adhesively bonded composite patches on mechanical properties of notched Al-Mg alloy plates was analyzed. For this purpose firstly, the un-notched and notched specimens were fabricated from 5086 Al-Mg alloys which have been used in armor-plated military vehicles. The surface notches as a flaw were machined with circular cutting tool to form notch aspect ratio a/c=0.15 and notch-to-thickness ratios a/t=0.5 in the radial direction on the test specimens. Then, various composite patches which reinforced by glass, carbon and Kevlar fibers were bonded adhesively at elliptically surface notches. Finally, experimental measurements conducted by applying tensile static loading. The experimental results showed that repairing with composite patches with order of carbon, glass and Kevlar fibers have remarkable effect on tensile strength of the notched plate. Also the finite element models were developed using Abaqus/Explicit code to predict the tensile strength and elongation of unrepaired notched specimen and specimen repaired by carbon fiber composite patch. The comparison between numerical and experimental results showed good agreement between them and proved the accuracy of numerical modeling.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.361-370
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• 2017

Through the use of finite element analysis and acoustic emission techniques we have evaluated the interfacial failure of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) repair patch on a notched aluminum substrate. The repair of cracks is a very common and widely used practice in the aeronautics field to extend the life of cracked sheet metal panels. The process consists of adhesively bonding a patch that encompasses the notched site to provide additional strength, thereby increasing life and avoiding costly replacements. The mechanical strength of the bonded joint relies mainly on the bonding of the adhesive to the plate and patch stiffness. Stress concentrations at crack tips promote disbonding of the composite patch from the substrate, consequently reducing the bonded area, which makes this a critical aspect of repair effectiveness. In this paper we examine patch disbonding by calculating the influence of notch tip stress on disbond area and verify computational results with acoustic emission (AE) measurements obtained from specimens subjected to uniaxial tension. The FE results showed that disbonding first occurs between the patch and the substrate close to free edge of the patch followed by failure around the tip of the notch, both highest stress regions. Experimental results revealed that cement adhesion at the aluminum interface was the limiting factor in patch performance. The patch did not appear to strengthen the aluminum substrate when measured by stress-strain due to early stage disbonding. Analysis of the AE signals provided insight to the disbond locations and progression at the metal-adhesive interface. Crack growth from the notch in the aluminum was not observed until the stress reached a critical level, an instant before final fracture, which was unaffected by the patch due to early stage disbonding. The FE model was further utilized to study the effects of patch fiber orientation and increased adhesive strength. The model revealed that the effectiveness of patch repairs is strongly dependent upon the combined interactions of adhesive bond strength and fiber orientation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.1A
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• pp.11-18
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• 2012

This paper deals with the numerical determination of the stress intensity factors of cracked aluminum plates under the mixed mode of $K_I$ and $K_{II}$ in glass-epoxy fiber reinforced composites. For the stress intensity factors, two different models are reviewed such as VCCT and two-step extension method. The p-convergent partial layerwise model is adopted to determine the fracture parameters in terms of energy release rates and stress intensity factors. The p-convergent approach is based on the concept of subparametric element. In assumed displacement field, strain-displacement relations and 3-D constitutive equations of a layer are obtained by combination of 2-D and 1-D higher-order shape functions. In the elements, Lobatto shape functions and Gauss-Lobatto technique are employed to interpolate displacement fields and to implement numerical quadrature. Using the models and techniques considered, effects of composite laminate configuration according to inclined angles and adhesive properties on the performance of bonded composite patch are investigated. In addition to these, the out-of-plane bending effect has been investigated across the thickness of patch repaired laminate plates due to the change of neutral axis. The present model provides accuracy and simplicity in terms of stress intensity factors, stress distribution, number of degrees of freedom, and energy release rates as compared with previous works in literatures.

• Composites Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.68-73
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• 2004

An analytical study was conducted to characterize the fatigue crack growth behavior of pre-cracked aluminum plates repaired with asymmetric bonded composite patch. For single-sided repairs, due to the asymmetry and the presence of out-of$.$plane bending, crack front shape would become skewed curvilinear started from a uniform through-crack profile, as observed from Previous studies. Therefore, for the accurate investigation of fatigue behavior, it is necessary to predict the actual crack front evolution and take it into consideration in the analysis. In this study, the fatigue analysis of single-sided repairs considering crack front shape development was conducted by implementing three-dimensional successive finite element method coupled with linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) concept, which enables the growing crack front to be directly traced and modeled in a step by step way. Through conducting present analysis technique, crack path of the patched plate as well as the fatigue life was evaluated with sufficient accuracy. The analytical predictions of both the crack front shape evolution and the fatigue life were in good agreement with the experimental observations.

• Composites Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.88-93
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• 2018

In this study, damaged composite laminates were repaired by a stepped patch repair method using halloysite nanotube(HNT) and milled carbon(MC) reinforced composite materials with different amount of the particles. And the mechanical and structural effects of the particles on the interface between the damaged and repair surfaces were analyzed. At this time, after exposing them to a harsh environment of high temperature and humidity for a long time, the recovery rate of the material properties relative to the material forming the damaged plate was compared. As a result, at $70^{\circ}C$ high temperature distilled water, the hygroscopicity of the HNT/GFRP composites was significantly different from that of the MC/GFRP composites. Especially, 0.5, 1 wt. % HNT was added, the moisture absorption rate was the lowest and this was the factor that contributed to the mechanical strength increase. On the other hand, MC showed a high hygroscopic resistance only with a small amount, and the strength was different according to the action direction of the load, and the addition amount was also different.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.28 no.5A
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• pp.649-656
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• 2008

The enhancement of the service life of damaged or cracked structures is a major issue for researchers and engineers. The hierarchic void element based on the integrals of Legendre polynomials is used to characterize the fracture behaviour of unpatched crack as well as repaired crack with bonded composite patches by computing the stress intensity factors and stress contours at the crack tip. Since the equivalent single layer approach is adopted in this study, the proposed element is necessary to represent a discontinuous crack part as a continuum body with zero stiffness. Thus the aspect ratio of this element to represent the crack should be extremely slender. The sensitivity of numerical solution with respect to energy release rate, displacement and stress has been tested to show the robustness of zero stiffness element as the aspect ratio is increased up to 2000. The stiffness derivative method and displacement extrapolation method have been applied to calculate the stress intensity factors of Mode I problem. It is noted that the proposed hierarchical void element can be one of alternatives to analyze the patched crack problems.