Fatigue Damage Mechanisms in Laminated Composite Structures: A Critical Review

Abstract

Laminated composite structures are widely utilized in aerospace, automotive, wind energy, and marine applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and design flexibility. However, their susceptibility to fatigue under cyclic loading remains a major challenge, limiting structural reliability and service life. This review critically examines the fundamental mechanisms of fatigue damage in laminated composites, including matrix cracking, fiber-matrix interface debonding, delamination, fiber breakage, and environmental effects. The influence of material properties, laminate stacking sequence, fiber orientation, loading conditions, and manufacturing-induced defects on fatigue behavior is discussed in detail. Furthermore, recent advances in experimental characterization, numerical modeling, and predictive approaches for fatigue life assessment are analyzed, highlighting the role of multiscale modeling and non-destructive evaluation techniques. Current mitigation strategies, such as interleaving, toughened resins, and nanofiller reinforcement, are evaluated for their effectiveness in enhancing fatigue resistance. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of fatigue damage evolution in laminated composites, identify gaps in current knowledge, and suggest future research directions to improve the durability and reliability of composite structures in critical engineering applications.