Innovative Analysis Tool for Damage Growth From Loaded Composite Fastener Holes

For the Phase I effort, Global Engineering and Research Technologies (GERT) will develop a validated analysis tool to predict damage initiation and growth as well as residual strength composite multiple-lap joints with many staggered bolts. The analysis tool will be based on the merger of (local) classical continuum theory and (non-local) peridynamic theory. The Phase I effort will consider published experimental investigations in the validation of the proposed approach. The predictions will be compared against the measured failure loads and photo micrographs of failure modes. This effort will also demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method by considering bolted lap joint configurations with multiple staggered bolts and multiple layers of different composite materials. Finally, the proposed method will be integrated into user friendly software modules that can be used to perform damage growth and life prediction of loaded holes in composite laminates.