A practical stress intensity factor formula for CFRP-repaired steel plates with a central crack

In this paper, the effects of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) repairing on fatigue life improvement of center cracked steel plates was intensively studied. Generally, stress intensity factors (SIFs) were calculated using numerical approaches and employed to predict fatigue cycles via classical crack propagation models. We proposed a practical SIF formula based on thorough finite element (FE) analysis of 1254 CFRP-repaired specimens. The analyses were carried using Python Script in order to achieve a high FE modeling and calculating efficiency. A correction coefficient F-C. representing the CFRP repairing effect, was introduced in the formula to calculate SIFs at the crack tip. Thereafter, the formula were employed to predict the fatigue lives of CFRP repaired steel plates together with the Elber model. Good consistency was achieved with test results. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.