Life prediction for fatigue of T800/5245 carbon-fibre composites: I. Constant-amplitude loading

Abstract This paper presents a study of the fatigue behaviour of a [(±45,02)2]s laminate of the T800/5245 composite system. This modern aerospace material consists of high-failure-strain, intermediate-modulus carbon fibres in a toughened bismaleimide resin system. The fatigue response in repeated tension, repeated compression, and mixed tension-compression was determined at constant stress levels over a wide range of R values, and the results are analysed in terms of constant-life diagrams of the kind that can be used to provide design data. The use of such information for life prediction purposes is discussed.