Characterization of non-crimp fabric laminates: loss of accuracy due to strain measuring techniques
Journal article, 2016

In mechanical characterization methods, the mechanical properties of multiple material test specimens are measured to determine the probabilistic characteristics of the material’s properties through statistical inference. Several of these methods require the measurement of deformations, and to do so, they rely on local strain measuring techniques, such as bonded strain gages and extensometers. In this study, we show that for non-crimp fabric laminates, local strain measurements acting as proxies of global laminate strain contain a random strain measurement error. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this strain measurement error can significantly reduce the accuracy of characterization methodologies for non-crimp fabric laminates. The strain measurement error pollutes the mechanical property measurements on laminate test specimens, leading to inaccurate statistical inferences. Because the strain measurement error is random, the inferences regarding the mechanical properties may occasionally be conservative or non-conservative with respect to the inference that would have been made if there was no strain measurement error. The results presented in this study are of importance because over-conservative mechanical properties can lead to unnecessarily heavy structures, and non-conservative ones may lead to unsafe structures, endangering life property and the environment. Both scenarios are discussed along with their likelihood and possible consequences.

digital image correlation

testing

non-crimp fabrics

statistics

characterization

strain

Author

Luis Felipe Sanchez Heres

Chalmers, Shipping and Marine Technology, Marine Technology

Jonas Ringsberg

Chalmers, Shipping and Marine Technology, Marine Technology

Erland Johnson

SP Sveriges Tekniska Forskningsinstitut AB

Journal of Testing and Evaluation

0090-3973 (ISSN)

Vol. 44 6 2321-2337

Chalmers Area of Advance Transport – funding 2016

Chalmers, 2016-01-01 -- 2016-12-31.

Subject Categories

Mechanical Engineering

Materials Engineering

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Innovation and entrepreneurship

Areas of Advance

Transport

Production

Materials Science

Roots

Basic sciences

DOI

10.1520/JTE20150051

More information

Latest update

10/11/2018