LOWER COST METHOD FOR COMPOSITE SAFE LIFE

A lower cost method for predicting the composite safe life is given in this paper. It can combine the previous data with the current data to calculate the safe life for composite structures. In the present method, the current test data information is used independently while predicting the safe life. The information available is much more in this paper's method than in the currently available method. As a result, it has not only saved much more specimens, but also improved the predicting precision. Therefore, it solved the problems such as more specimens, longer test period and greater cost because of the large scatter of composite life. Furthermore, some fatigue test data for many kinds of advanced fiber reinforced composite materials are analyzed by this lower cost method. It shows that fewer specimens (only about half of the specimens in the current method) are required in this method and the result is more accurate for the same number of specimens by these contrast examples.