Issue 16

F. Carta et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 16 (2011) 34-42; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.16.04 42 The Model 01 showed the most faithful reproduction of the crack propagation. The absence of the adhesive in the simulation brings in a higher rigidity near the reinforcements that apparently reproduces the stresses in the skin better than the other models. The inclusion of the anti-bending device in the model 04-NB until the second reinforcement leads at a more faithful reproduction of the initial stage of crack propagation. Figure 16 : Comparison between experimental and numerical FCP curves (models 4 and 4-NB). C ONCLUSIONS n this study, the influence of several parameters that affect the crack propagation rate was evaluated and the focus was aimed at obtaining results comparable with experiments. The effect of type of skin-stiffener coupling has been simulated, with particular interest on the assessment of the presence of the adhesive and the possible debonding. The possibility of first doubler breakage was also considered. Finally, by introducing an anti-bending device, a good correspondence in the first phase of propagation was obtained, differently from the other models simulated. A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS he authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Ing. Marco Pacchione, Airbus, for supplying the experimental data. R EFERENCES [1] M. Pacchione, E. Hombergsmeier, In: Proceedings of the 1 st International Conference of Engineering Against Fracture, University of Patras, Patras, Greece (2008). [2] Meneghin, M. Pacchione, P. Vermeer, In: 25° ICAF Symposium – Rotterdam, (2009). [3] M. B. Heinimann, R. J. Bucci, M. Kulak, M. Garratt, In: Proceedings of the 23 rd ICAF Symposium, Ed. Dalle Donne C, (2005) 197. [4] M. Heinimann, M. Kulak, R. Bucci, M. James, G. Wilson, J. Brockenbrough, H. Zonker, H. Sklyut, In: Proceedings of ICAF 24 th , Ed Lazzeri L, Naples, (2007) 206. [5] M. Giglio, A.Manes, Engng Fract Mech., 75 (2008) 866. [6] R.C. Alderliesten, International Journal of Fatigue, 31(6) (2009)1024. [7] X Zhang, M Boscolo, D Figueroa-Gordon, G Allegri, P. E. Irving, Eng Fracture Mechanics, 76 (2009) 114. [8] C. Mittelstedt, Composite Structures (2008). [9] AFGROW website: http://www.afgrow.net/. I T