The paper proposes a methodology for reliable design and maintenance of wind turbine rotor blades using a condition monitoring approach and a damage tolerance index coupling the material and structure. By improving the understanding of material properties that control damage propagation it will be possible to combine damage tolerant structural design, monitoring systems, inspection techniques and modelling to manage the life cycle of the structures. This will allow an efficient operation of the wind turbine in terms of load alleviation, limited maintenance and repair leading to a more effective exploitation of offshore wind.

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The mechanical strength of thin, symmetric sandwich specimens consisting of a dense yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate coated with a porous NiO–YSZ layer at both major faces was investigated. Specimens were loaded in uniaxial tension to failure following heat treatments at various temperatures. In comparison with the YSZ material, the failure strength of coated specimens was found to increase for heat treatments at 1100°C, but decreased again with further increased heat‐treatment temperatures.