Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Damage Tolerance of Pre-Stressed Composite Panels Under Impact Loads

  • Published:
Applied Composite Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An experimental test campaign studied the structural integrity of carbon fibre/epoxy panels preloaded in tension or compression then subjected to gas gun impact tests causing significant damage. The test programme used representative composite aircraft fuselage panels composed of aerospace carbon fibre toughened epoxy prepreg laminates. Preload levels in tension were representative of design limit loads for fuselage panels of this size, and maximum compression preloads were in the post-buckle region. Two main impact scenarios were considered: notch damage from a 12 mm steel cube projectile, at velocities in the range 93–136 m/s; blunt impact damage from 25 mm diameter glass balls, at velocities 64–86 m/s. The combined influence of preload and impact damage on panel residual strengths was measured and results analysed in the context of damage tolerance requirements for composite aircraft panels. The tests showed structural integrity well above design limit loads for composite panels preloaded in tension and compression with visible notch impact damage from hard body impact tests. However, blunt impact tests on buckled compression loaded panels caused large delamination damage regions which lowered plate bending stiffness and reduced significantly compression strengths in buckling.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hachenberg, D.: The role of advanced numerical methods in the design and certification of future composite aircraft structures. In: Mang, H.A., Rammerstorfer, F.G., Eberhardsteiner, J. (eds.) Proc. 5th World Congress on Computational Mechanics, Vienna, July 7–12 (2002)

  2. Toso, N., Johnson, A.F.: LIBCOS – Significance of Load upon Impact Behaviour of Composite Structure, EASA.2009.OP.24, Final Report, European Aviation Safety Agency, Cologne, Germany, 08/11/2011

  3. EASA AMC 20-29, Annex II, 26/07/2010

  4. FAA Advisory Circular AC 20.107B Composite Aircraft Structures, 08/09/2009

  5. CMH-17, Composite Materials Handbook, Damage Tolerance WG, www.cmh17.org

  6. Irving, P.E. et al.: Effect of preload on bird strike damage in carbon fibre polymer composite beams. CAA Report, Cranfield University, CU/WA9/W30814E/62 (2004)

  7. Whittingham, B., Marshall, I.H., Mitrevski, T., Jones, R.: The response of composite structures with pre-stress subject to low velocity impact damage. Compos. Struct. 66, 685–698 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Nettles, A., Daniel, V., Branscomb, C.: The effects of tensile preloads on the impact response of carbon/epoxy laminates. 40th Int. SAMPE Symposium, 1019–1025 (1995)

  9. Sankar, B.V., Sun, C.T.: Low-velocity impact damage in graphite-epoxy laminates subjected to tensile initial stresses. AIAA J. 24/3, 470–471 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Pickett, A.K., Fouinneteau, M.R.C., Middendorf, P.: Test and modelling of impact on pre-loaded composite panels. Appl. Compos. Mater. 16/4, 225–244 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Avva, V.S., Vala, J.R., Jeyaseelan, M.: Effect of impact and fatigue loads on the strength of graphite/epoxy composites. In: J. M. Whitney (ed) Composite materials: testing and design (7th Conference). ASTM STP 893, 196–206 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Herszberg, I., Weller, T., Leong, K.H., Bannister, M.K.: The residual tensile strength of stitched and unstitched carbon/epoxy laminates impacted under tensile load. In: Proc. 1st Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics, Melbourne, Australia, 309–314 (1996)

  13. Morlo, H.; Kunz, J.: Impact behaviour of loaded composites. 4th European Conference on Composite Materials, September 25–28, Stuttgart (1990)

  14. Nettles, A.T., Lance, D.G.: The effects of compressive preloads on the compression-after-impact strength of carbon/epoxy. NASA Technical Paper 3303 (1992)

  15. Zhang, Z., Davies, G.A.O., Hitchings, D.: Impact damage with compressive preload and post-impact compression of carbon composite plates. Int. J. Impact. Eng. 22, 485–509 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Heimbs, S., Heller, S., Middendorf, P., Hähnel, H., Weiße, J.: Low velocity impact on CFRP plates with compressive preload: Test and modelling. Int. J. Impact. Eng 36/10-11, 1182–1193 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Starnes, J.H., Rhodes, M.D., Williams, J.G.: Effect of impact damage and holes on the compressive strength of a graphite/epoxy laminate. In: R. B. Pipes (ed.) Nondestructive Evaluation and Flaw Criticality for Composite Materials, ASTM STP 696, 1979, 145–171 (1979)

  18. Herszberg, I., Weller, T.: Impact damage resistance of buckled carbon/epoxy panels. Compos. Struct. 73, 130–137 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Johnson, A.F., Toso-Pentecôte, N.: Determination of delamination damage in composites under impact loads. Ch. 19. In: Sridharan, S. (ed.) Delamination Behaviour of Composites. Woodhead, Cambridge (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  20. EASA Certification Specifications: CS 25 Large Aeroplanes, European Aviation Safety Agency, www.easa.europa.eu

  21. Kaletta, P.: Advanced numerical optimisation of laminate stacking sequence using a load categorisation approach. IV European Conf. on Computational Mechanics, Paris, May 16–21 (2010)

  22. Wu, D., Salerno, A., Malter, U., Aoki, R., Kochendörfer, R., Kächele, P.K., Woithe, K., Pfister, K., Busse, G.: Inspection of aircraft structural components using lockin-thermography. Quantitative infrared thermography QIRT 96, Eurotherm Series 50, Balageas, D.; Busse, G.; Carlomagno, G.M.; (Eds.) 251–256 (1997)

  23. Sierakowski, R.L., Newaz, G.M.: Damage Tolerance in Advanced Composites. Technomic, Lancaster (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Soutis, C., Curtis, P.T.: Prediction of post-impact compressive strength of CFRP laminated composites. Comput. Sci. Technol. 56, 677–684 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mayers, J.: Aircraft and Missile Structures. Lecture Notes. Stanford University, Stanford (1964)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the authors wish to acknowledge EASA for permitting tables and figures from the LIBCOS Final Report [2] to be used in the paper. Particular thanks go to EASA staff Simon Waite for his guidance and constructive criticism throughout the project, Werner Kleine-Beek for project management and Emmanuel Isambert for project coordination. This study would not have been possible without the active participation of the DLR test team: Albert Reiter (gas gun testing), Harald Kraft (quasi-static testing, instrumentation), Husam Abu El-Hija (quasi-static testing) and Rodolfo Aoki (non-destructive testing).

Disclaimer

This study has been carried out for the European Aviation Safety Agency by an external organization and expresses the opinion of the organization undertaking the study. It is provided for information purposes only and the views expressed in the study have not been adopted, endorsed or in any way approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency. Consequently it should not be relied upon as a statement, as any form of warranty, representation, undertaking, contractual, or other commitment binding in law upon the European Aviation Safety Agency. Ownership of all copyright and other intellectual property rights in this material including any documentation, data and technical information, remains vested to the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Alastair F. Johnson

    Present address: , Hildebrandstr. 57, 70191, Stuttgart, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Structures and Design, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

    Alastair F. Johnson, Nathalie Toso-Pentecôte & Dominik Schueler

Authors
  1. Alastair F. Johnson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nathalie Toso-Pentecôte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dominik Schueler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alastair F. Johnson.

Appendix: Tables of Detailed Test Results

Appendix: Tables of Detailed Test Results

Table 4 Plate tension test results with impact test conditions and damaged plate failure loads
Full size table
Table 5 Plate compression test results with impact test conditions and damaged plate failure loads
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Johnson, A.F., Toso-Pentecôte, N. & Schueler, D. Damage Tolerance of Pre-Stressed Composite Panels Under Impact Loads. Appl Compos Mater 21, 123–147 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-013-9383-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-013-9383-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation