On modelling the mechanical degradation of fatigue loaded glass-fibre non-crimp fabric reinforced epoxy laminates

By using a “non-scalar approach” a complete damage analysis is performed to describe the mechanical degradation and failure of tension–compression fatigue loaded glass-fibre non-crimp fabric reinforced epoxy laminates. The used algorithm is based on experimentally obtained parameters to describe damage evolution and lifetime. To calculate the effective properties finite element analysis (FEA) is used. With a limited number of mainly non-destructively obtained parameters a simulation of the degradation of the mechanical properties during fatigue life was performed. A good agreement between prediction and measurement was found. The differences between the predicted and the measured stiffness are conservative for low and medium fatigue loads.