Structures Technology for Component Damage and Failure Prediction

Advanced structural analysis methods, known as progressive damage and failure analysis (PDFA) tools, are being developed to predict initiation and propagation of damage under repeated loading based on capturing individual and interacting damage modes. This work shows the ability of the PDFA implemented in CDMat software developed at the University of Texas Arlington Advanced Materials and Structures Lab (AMSL) to predict strength and fatigue failure of a Common Feature Test Component (CFTC) - representative of flight-critical structural attributes and failure modes - without a priori knowledge of the test result. CFTC advanced structural features include a composite skin made of unidirectional tape, a fabric hat stiffener, and a mechanically fastened aluminum rib. CFTC, developed by Boeing under the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Composite Airframe Life Extension (CALE) Program, Assessing the Durability and Damage Tolerance of Advanced Composite Structural Features, has been the most complex PDFA validation article to date.