Fracture mechanics analysis of cracked steel plates repaired with composite sheets

Advanced composite materials have proven to be effective in enhancing the load carrying capacity and to extend the fatigue life of structural elements. Most studies have relied extensively on experimental testing and numerical simulations. It is important to develop some efficient analytical methods for predicting the fatigue behaviour of the composites repaired structures. This paper presents one analytical model for estimating the fatigue crack growth and fatigue life of two-side patched steel plates. This analytical model was verified by comparisons with experimental results.