ABSTRACT
Composites are used extensively in aviation and marine sectors to reduce component weight without compromising strength properties. However, any discontinuity in the form of notches or joints reduces its strength. It becomes even more severe when sustained loads are applied at a higher rate. In the present work, the effect of notches is examined in glass/epoxy composites. A pair of notches of diameter 2 mm is created with center-to-center distances of 20, 30, and 40 mm. Their performance is assessed in varying loading rates of 1, 10, and 100 mm/minute. The experimental results indicated that introducing a paired notch in the gauge section reduces ultimate tensile strength by 4.07–29.27%. The reduction in modulus was in the range of 1.13–16.39%. The digital image correlation technique has also been used to understand in-situ damage initiation in the sample. It was seen that an increased loading rate has improved ultimate tensile strength but reduced its straining capacity.
