Fatigue Considerations for FRP Composites

An introduction to the fatigue properties of Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites is given. The implications of these properties in the design of composite structures are stressed. Topics covered include: an overview of FRP composites, a definition of fatigue and fatigue testing, a comparison of typical metal and FRP fatigue mechanisms, and a discussion of the major fatigue design considerations for FRP composites. Finally, a system’s view is presented to illustrate the inter-dependence of material, design, and processing considerations in fatigue of FRP composites.