On the Residual Strength and Damage Identification of Damaged Composite Structure

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, composites have been used in many industrial applications due to their excellent strength, weight, and durability characteristics. Composites come with numerous benefits which encourage engineers to use them in various structural forms. Some examples of these benefits include that they are weight-saving (high specific strength), have low maintenance requirements, exhibit resistance to environmental effects (corrosion-free), are able to be formed into a complex shape, and are easy to install offsite, both as engineered and fabricated elements. However, some negative aspects still limit their use. The most important issues in the structural behavior of all composites are some of their dynamic characteristics due to their lightweight superstructure, failure mechanisms, susceptibility to environmental conditions (e.g., humidity), susceptibility to undetectable defects due to the manufacturing process, and damages caused by accidental loads, which lead the current design practice being based on a damage tolerance approach (i.e., use of larger safety factors, stiffeners and scheduling of several inspection operations during the in-service life).

This Special Issue is dedicated to publishing papers in all fields related to composite materials that address recent advances in the research and development of the materials. Results of theoretical, analytical, numerical or experimental investigation can be presented. Review articles can be also proposed. The key focus is on fiber-reinforced composite materials and particle-reinforced composite materials, addressing not only just the usual topics on structural/mechanical properties, but also more novel areas such as intelligent materials, sensing (e.g., structural health monitoring) applications, extreme environment applications, and sustainability areas, such as recyclability and repair strategies, etc.

The topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Structural behavior and mechanical properties of reinforced composite materials;
• Load-carrying capacity of pristine and damaged composite structures;
• SHM system applications on composite structures;
• Crashworthiness of composite structures;
• Dynamic behavior of composite structures;
• Failure mechanisms in different types of laminate.

Dr. Alessandro De Luca
Dr. Michele Guida
Prof. Roberto Citarella
Guest Editors

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