Fatigue crack growth in thin notched woven glass composites under tensile loading. Part I: Experimental

Helicopter blades are made of composite materials mainly loaded in fatigue and have normally relatively thin skins. A through-the-thickness crack could appear in these skins. The aim of this study is to characterize the through-the-thickness crack propagation due to fatigue in thin woven glass fabric laminates. A technological test specimen is developed to get closer to the real loading conditions acting on these structures. An experimental campaign is undertaken which allows evaluating crack growth rates in several laminates. The crack path is linked through microscopic investigations to specify damage in woven plies. Crack initiation duration influence on experimental results is also underlined. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.