Slow-growth damage tolerance for fatigue after impact in FRP composites: Why current research won’t get us there

Impact damage in CFRP structures is currently managed using the ‘no-growth’ concept, meaning that damage is not allowed to grow under fatigue loading. This requires that stresses in the material are kept below the fatigue limit, imposing a significant weight penalty. A ‘slow-growth’ concept would allow more efficient structural designs, but several knowledge gaps need to be addressed before this is possible. These gaps exist in three main areas:...