Sajad Hajizade

Background: This study investigates the performance of composite patches in repairing cracks in steel plates. Aim: The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of various patch characteristics, including material (carbon-epoxy and fiberglass), thickness, and fiber orientation, on stress intensity factor (K), axial stress (S22), and crack opening displacement (COD). Methodology: This study investigates the performance of composite patches in repairing cracks in steel plates using Abaqus software and the J-Integral method. Conclusions: The findings revealed that carbon-epoxy patches resulted in a greater reduction in stress intensity factor and crack opening displacement compared to fiberglass patches. Additionally, increasing the patch thickness and using a 90° fiber orientation aligned with the loading direction led to the most significant reduction in axial stress and stress intensity factor. The use of double-sided patches significantly reduced K and S22 compared to single-sided patches.