An overview of the applications of NDI/NDT in engineering design for structural integrity and damage tolerance in aircraft structures

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An overview of the applications of NDI/NDT in engineering design for structural integrity and damage tolerance in aircraft structures

Abdel-Latif, A.M.

Most of the civilian commercial aircraft were designed in the past for at least 20-25 years and up to 90,000 flights. The aircraft design philosophy was based on safe life or fail-safe approaches. Many operators of commercial transport aircraft exceed these design service goals. Consequently, non-destructive inspections (NDI) are mandatory for determining maintenance cycles, and as means for assessing damage and extent of the needed repair work. Presently, aircraft types are designed for the same service life, structural design according to fatigue and damage tolerance requirements. The ultimate purpose of the damage tolerance evaluation is the development of a recommended structural inspection program considering probable damage locations, crack initiation mechanisms, crack growth time histories and crack detectability, in the airframe structure and engine components to minimize the maintenance costs and to comply with the requirements of airworthiness regulations. The applications of damage tolerance requirements and the advances in light weight materials and composites lead to the need for defining structural integrity through NDI inspection program to ensure a high degree of reliability supported by evaluation tests for structural integrity. The damage tolerance principles, fatigue life assessment and new advances of NDI methodologies will be reviewed.