Effect of Initial Debond Crack Location on the Face/core Debond Fracture Toughness

This paper studies the effect of initial crack location on the face/core debond fracture toughness under different mixed mode loading conditions. The mixed mode loading at the crack tip is defined in terms of the mode-mixity. In order to achieve the desired initial debond crack location, a pre-cracking technique is developed, where the mode-mixity, number of cycles, crack increment and load level are accurately controlled. Results show that the debond fracture resistance of foam-cored sandwich specimens depends on parameters such as loading condition (mode-mixity), core and face properties, as well as initial debond crack location. Lower fracture toughness values were measured for specimens with the initial crack location in the face laminate

A dual 3D DIC-system application for DSL strain and displacement measurements

This paper describes a dual 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system application for DLS strain and displacement measurements, where two 3D DIC-systems are used in parallel. The bonded specimens were tested to failure under monotonic loading in a uni-axial tensile testing machine at ambient temperature. Both surface inplane strain and full-field displacement values were recorded using two DIC systems: high speed (HS) and high resolution (HR). The HS system was used in a parallel setup with the HR system in order to detect the initial failure location and crack propagation rate during the brittle failure mechanism, where an interface crack is propagating between the straps and the inner adherent. Using two inherently different DIC systems involve a number of problems. This involves synchronization of the HS and HR systems, a common illumination level and speckle pattern. This paper therefore describes guidelines for a mutual system setup, applied in an experimental study of steel/epoxy DLS joints under pure tension

Fatigue characterization of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) foam core sandwich composite using the G-control method

This paper presents experimental results from cyclic crack propagation tests performed on sandwich specimens with glass/epoxy face sheets and Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) foam cores using the G-controlled cyclic energy release rate (ΔG) test procedure. The face material was tested in tension, compression and shear to determine in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical properties, such as Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and shear modulus. These properties were then used in an analytical model of the mixed-mode bending sandwich specimen to calculate compliance and energy release rate. Finite element analysis was used to determine the mode-mixity of the crack loading. Experimental crack growth cyclic tests were carried out on pre-cracked mixed-mode bending sandwich specimens with H45, H100 and H160 PVC foam cores under two mode-mixities (mode I and mode II dominant). Post-mortem analysis was performed on tested specimens, highlighting the influence of mode mixity and foam density on the crack path. Crack propagation diagrams showing da/dN versus ΔG curves were obtained to establish the Paris-Erdogan relation for each material combination tested at the two mode-mixities. Results showed constant crack growth rates for all the materials tested and revealed the influence on mode-mixity on crack propagation speed and foam density (higher foam density, slower crack propagation). </jats:p