Fracture and Fatigue of Z-Pinned Composite Joints

Overview

Z-pins are short metallic or composite rods inserted through-thickness in composite laminates to enhance interlaminar fracture toughness and fatigue performance at joints and structural connections.

Research

LAMMA investigates the fracture and fatigue behavior of Z-pinned composite joints through experimental characterization and physics-based computational modeling, supporting the design of more durable and damage-tolerant aerospace structures.

Funding

Northrop Grumman / Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) — FASTBUCS program.