Journal
Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology
Volume
26
Issue
3
Pages
1253 - 1264
Publisher
Universiti Putra Malaysia

The improvement of the composite material against fatigue loading is of a great interest. In this study, the classical lamination theory of laminated composite was developed in order to include the effect of fibre prestressing on the composite’s fatigue life when it was subjected to tension-tension fatigue loading. The biaxial fabric prestress term of the plain-weave composite (E-glass/polyester) was included in the theory and simplified. The overall tensile stress within the composite lamina was reduced by inducing compressive residual stress imparted from releasing the fibre pretension load. The fatigue life of the prestressed E-glass/polyester composite lamina was prolonged 36 times compared the non-prestressed counterparts when the fabric was biaxially prestressed with 100 MPa.