COMPTEST 2006 — 10,11,12 abril 2006 OportoFatigue of composite materials is of great concern in load-carrying structures. In fact, most failures of composite
structures can be attributed to fatigue. Due to the heterogeneity of composite materials at different scales, a large
variety of interacting mechanisms contribute to fatigue failure. If the incipient mechanisms at the onset of
damage accumulation could be better understood, bases for a physically based fatigue law may be built and
measures could be taken in order to extend the lifetime of the material
