International audienceLow velocity / low energy edge impact and almost-static experiments have been carried out on carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) structures. A drop-weight testing machine was used to impact four different UD laminates at 10, 20 and 35 J impact energy levels. In parallel, an almoststatic study has been conducted in order to compare its results with the impact one. Compression after impact tests will supply the residual behavior afterwards. The impact results show that the static and dynamic behaviors are different. A simplified analytical impact model is provided trying to explain the difference between static and dynamic edge impact regardless the stacking or impact energy. It actually well represents the dynamic and static initial stiffness and the crushing plateau. The fiber properties control the initial impact stiffness. In addition, regardless of the impact energy and stacking, a specific "crushing plateau" phenomenon appears. In the almost-static indentation case the properties of the matrix control the initial indentation stiffness. The experimental results will be compared to a numerical model in order to simulate the impact and compression after impact damage

Composite structures are particularly vulnerable to impact which lowers drastically theirs residual strength. In particular, the edge impact on composite stiffener is known as a critical factor on the loss of residual compression strength. At the same time, manufacturing of stiffened panels and achievement of experimental tests, of edge impact and compression after edge impact (CAEI) with stiffened panel, are particularly complex and costly. Then an experimental test set up has been designed to easily study the edge impact and the CAEI without complex specimen. It avoids the complex manufacturing of stiffener panels and avoids the use of high capacity machine. The mean goal is to define a new design method to improve the edge impact damage tolerance. Then experimental analysis of CAEI has been carried out on carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates. This paper presents these results in order to determine the residual properties of the structure and to elaborate the failure scenario. It seems that a propagation of a compressive fibre failure plays a major role in the mechanisms that drives the laminate residual strength after edge impact. The good agreement of an open hole model with point stress approach seems to confirm the major role of the compressive fibre failure in the final failure.