Assessment of a Progressive Fatigue Damage Model for AS4/3501–6 Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composites Using Digital Image Correlation

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study for the assessment of a three-dimensional Progressive Fatigue Damage Model (PFDM) with a carbon fiber/epoxy (AS4/3501–6) material system. Specimens with a central circular hole were selected to represent notched composite structures. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to monitor the surface strain evolution throughout the fatigue lifetime. The PFDM model was implemented in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS using the user material (UMAT) utility. Residual stresses from the composite manufacturing cycle are included in the fatigue damage modeling. Results are presented that compare experimental and predicted strain distributions and fatigue lives. Comparisons between the experimental and simulated response highlight the value of the PFDM model while demonstrating its shortcomings.