ABSTRACT

The purpose of this chapter is to review key aspects of assessing the quantitative risk to airframe structures from concurrent corrosion and fatigue damage. Both the current engineering practice and new research developments are reviewed. The physics-based stochastic damage models necessary to make this risk assessment as well as the statistical data needed to construct these models are discussed. The emphasis is on physics-based stochastic modeling of corrosion-fatigue damage. Lack of data and engineering understanding of the physics of a damage process are highlighted. At the end of the chapter, various probabilistic results computed for different physics-based stochastic damage models and different corrosion severity conditions are illustrated for a typical aircraft lap joint.