The book focuses on the recent technology and advancement in structural integrity and monitoring systems in composite materials. Composites have been widely used in automotive, aerospace and wind turbine industries, therefore it is important to develop state of the art technology to monitor and manage the damage tolerance and durability. This book explores the challenge of a monitoring system in a composite and presents a real-time system which has advantages for damage detection, localization, assessment and life prediction compared to the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). It will also present the modelling and prediction of failure in a composite material based on computational analysis of the characteristics and properties of the composite material based on fiber and matrix properties. This book will benefit lecturers, students, researchers, engineers and industrialist who are working in the civil, mechanical engineering, automotive, aerospace and wind turbine industries.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a relatively new and alternative way of non-destructive inspection (NDI). It is the process of implementing a damage detection and characterization strategy for composite structures. The basis of SHM is the application of permanent fixed sensors on a structure, combined with minimum manual intervention to monitor its structural integrity. These sensors detect changes to the material and/or geometric properties of a structural system, including changes to the boundary conditions and system connectivity, which adversely affect the system's performance.This book's primary focus is on the diagnostics element of SHM, namely damage detection in composite structures. The techniques covered include the use of Piezoelectric transducers for active and passive Ultrasonics guided waves and electromechanical impedance measurements, and fiber optic sensors for strain sensing. It also includes numerical modeling of wave propagation in composite structures. Contributed chapters written by leading researchers in the field describe each of these techniques, making it a key text for researchers and NDI practitioners as well as postgraduate students in a number of specialties including materials, aerospace, mechanical and computational engineering.

Structural Health Monitoring of Aerospace Composite Structures offers a comprehensive review of established and promising technologies under development in the emerging area of structural health monitoring (SHM) of aerospace composite structures. Beginning with a description of the different types of composite damage, which differ fundamentally from the damage states encountered in metallic airframes, the book moves on to describe the SHM methods and sensors currently under consideration before considering application examples related to specific composites, SHM sensors, and detection methods. Expert author Victor Giurgiutiu closes with a valuable discussion of the advantages and limitations of various sensors and methods, helping you to make informed choices in your structure research and development. - The first comprehensive review of one of the most ardent research areas in aerospace structures, providing breadth and detail to bring engineers and researchers up to speed on this rapidly developing field - Covers the main classes of SHM sensors, including fiber optic sensors, piezoelectric wafer active sensors, electrical properties sensors and conventional resistance strain gauges, and considers their applications and limitation - Includes details of active approaches, including acousto-ultrasonics, vibration, frequency transfer function, guided-wave tomography, phased arrays, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (ECIS), among other emerging methods

The advantages of composite materials include a high specific strength and stiffness, formability, and a comparative resistance to fatigue cracking and corrosion. However, not forsaking these advantages, composite materials are prone to a wide range of defects and damage that can significantly reduce the residual strength and stiffness of a structure or result in unfavorable load paths. Emphasizing defect identification and restitution, Defects and Damage in Composite Materials and Structures explains how defects and damage in composite materials and structures impact composite component performance. Providing ready access to an extensive, descriptive list of defects and damage types, this must-have reference: Examines defect criticality in composite structures Recommends repair actions to restore structural integrity Discusses failure modes and mechanisms of composites due to defects Reviews NDI processes for finding and identifying defects in composite materials Relating defect detection methods to defect type, the author merges his experience in the field of in-service activities for composite airframe maintenance and repair with indispensable reports and articles on defects and damage in advanced composite materials from the last 50 years.

The well documented increase in the use of high performance composites as structural materials in aerospace components is continuously raising the demands in terms of dynamic performance, structural integrity, reliable life monitoring systems and adaptive actuating abilities. Current technologies address the above issues separately; material property tailoring and custom design practices aim to the enhancement of dynamic and damage tolerance characteristics, whereas life monitoring and actuation is performed with embedded sensors that may be detrimental to the structural integrity of the component. This publication explores the unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT) as an additive in the matrix of Fibre Reinforced Plastics (FRP), for producing structural composites with improved mechanical performance as well as sensing/actuating capabilities. The successful combination of the CNT properties and existing sensing actuating technologies leads to the realization of a multifunctional FRP structure. The current volume presents the state of the art research in this field. The contributions cover all the aspects of the novel composite systems, i.e. modeling from nano to macro scale, enhancement of structural efficiency, dispersion and manufacturing, integral health monitoring abilities, Raman monitoring, as well as the capabilities that ordered carbon nanotube arrays offer in terms of sensing and/or actuating in aerospace composites.

A compact presentation of the foundations, current state of the art, recent developments and research directions of all essential techniques related to the mechanics of composite materials and structures. Special emphasis is placed on classic and recently developed theories of composite laminated beams, plates and shells, micromechanics, impact and damage analysis, mechanics of textile structural composites, high strain rate testing and non-destructive testing of composite materials and structures. Topics of growing importance are addressed, such as: numerical methods and optimisation, identification and damage monitoring. The latest results are presented on the art of modelling smart composites, optimal design with advanced materials, and industrial applications. Each section of the book is written by internationally recognised experts who have dedicated most of their research work to a particular field. Readership: Postgraduate students, researchers and engineers in the field of composites. Undergraduate students will benefit from the treatment of the foundations of the mechanics of composite materials and structures.

Composites are a class of material, which receives much attention not only because it is on the cutting edge of active material research fields due to appearance of many new types of composites, e.g., nanocomposites and bio-medical composites, but also because there are a great deal of promise for its potential applications in various industries ranging from aerospace to construction due to its various outstanding properties. This book mainly describes some potential applications and the related properties of various composites by focusing on the following several topics: health or integrity monitoring techniques of composites structures, bio-medical composites and their applications in dental or tissue materials, natural fiber or mineral filler reinforced composites and their property characterization, catalysts composites and their applications, and some other potential applications of fibers or composites as sensors, etc. This book has been divided into five sections to cover the above contents.

Bringing together materials mechanics and modelling, this book provides a complete guide to damage mechanics of composite materials for engineers.

This highly comprehensive, introductory book explains the basics of structural health monitoring aspects of composite structures. This book serve as an all-in-one reference book in which the reader can receive a basic understanding of composite materials, manufacturing methods, the latest types of optical fiber sensors used for structural health monitoring of composite structures, and demonstrated applications of the use of fiber sensors in a variety of composite material structures. The content draws upon the authors’ and distinguished contributors’ extensive research/teaching and industrial experience to fully cover the structural health monitoring of composite materials using fiber optic sensing methods.