This article discusses three typical repair types for composite structures: temporary repairs, adhesively bonded repairs, and bolted repairs. It contains a table that lists general design requirements and considerations for the repair of composite structures. The article describes ten steps for an engineering repair approach to effectively restore structural integrity to damaged composite components. Management, validation and certification of repairs are also discussed. The article presents the design guidelines for analyzing the damage and possible strategies for making a repair. It reviews three repair schemes used in repair design analysis, namely, core replacement, adhesively bonded patch, and mechanically fastened patch. The article also emphasizes the various pitfalls and problems in repair design for composite structures.

It is recommended that repairs be made whenever damage consists of delamination cracks or broken fibers. This article provides an overview of the repair classification, characterization, and cycle of the composite ship structure. The methods outlined in this article, which covers gel coat repairs, patching, scarfing, and step repairs, have undergone extensive development and rigorous testing for use on composite ship structures. Resin infusion repair, which is a relatively new method for repairing marine composites, is also described.

Relatively limited effort has gone into developing repair processes and materials for composites, in contrast to the significant labor and expense that has gone into the development of these materials for numerous critical applications. As composites gain wider acceptance as aerospace materials, there is a need to understand the requirements of the end users regarding repair of these advanced materials. This article focuses on the repair of graphite-epoxy structures designed in a variety of forms for a wide range of load intensities. Five repair concepts developed for generic laminate repair have been validated in this article through the required environmental and load condition tests. These include bonded-scarf joint flush repair, double-scarf joint flush repair, blind-side banded-scarf repair, blind-side sandwich repair, and bonded external patch repair. A brief note on thermoplastic repair concepts is also provided in this article.