Crack – fiber sensor interaction and characterization of the bridging tractions in mode I delamination

Fiber bridging is regularly encountered in mode I delamination tests of unidirectional fiber reinforced composites. However, characterization of the bridging tractions is rather difficult. One way to indirectly evaluate the bridging traction distribution is to embed a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor close to the crack tip and to measure the distributed strain along this FBG. The strain measurements from the FBG sensor are used to characterize...