A fuzzy set analysis for a fracture and fatigue damage response of composite materials

Experimental data, especially for fatigue tests, have ranges of scatter affected by variability in material microstructure from one test specimen to another. In order to avoid such problems and on the other hand, to include variability in mechanical and geometrical properties a fuzzy set approach have been adopted to the analysis of matrix cracking in cross-ply laminates. With the use of finite element modelling values of the J-integral have been evaluated as well as the shear lag effects have been studied. Numerical results have been presented for plates with cracks subjected to remote