Prediction of Ultimate Compression after Impact Loads in Graphite-Epoxy Coupons from Ultrasonic C-Scan Images Using Neural Networks

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11.1.1 Overview

Over the past decade, composite materials have become increasingly prevalent in aerospace structures because they provide excellent stiffness properties and high strength-to-weight ratios. This major advantage of composites over metals has led to a huge increase in their use, especially as major structural elements in aerospace applications. Both the military and commercial aviation sectors have adopted composites heavily, as shown in Table 11.1.