Digital Image Correlation Applications at NASA Langley Research Center (1990 to 2025)

The Fatigue & Fracture lab and Structural testing lab at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have been using digital image correlation (DIC) since the early 1990s. The initial applications of DIC were performed in support of the NASA Aging Aircraft program. DIC was used to measure the crack tip opening angle of cracks in thin sheets of aluminum that represented aircraft fuselage structures. An early three-dimensional DIC system was also used to measure the out-of-plane displacement of a long crack in a thin sheet.
The use of DIC at NASA LaRC increased dramatically in the early 2000s with the availability of commercial three-dimensional DIC software and advances in digital camera technology. The DIC measurements were used initially for qualitative comparisons with results from finite element models, but quickly transitioned to quantitative comparisons. The applications of DIC have included: correlation of structural test measurements and analytical models, flight hardware ground test qualification, material characterization at strains beyond yield, damage tolerance testing for qualification of fracture critical flight hardware, characterization of weld behavior beyond yield, the characterization of fracture and ductile tearing, ultra-highspeed (>1,000,000 frames per second) explosive testing, wind tunnel structural response testing, and many other applications.
This presentation will provide and overview of how DIC has been used to support testing of aerospace structures and materials at NASA LaRC. Several brief case studies will be presented to highlight the type of data that can be extracted from DIC measurements. These case studies will demonstrate a wide range of applicability of DIC relative to structural and material testing and discuss lessons learned over the years.
The Fatigue & Fracture lab and Structural testing lab at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) have been using digital image correlation (DIC) since the early 1990s. The initial applications of DIC were performed in support of the NASA Aging Aircraft program. DIC was used to measure the crack tip opening angle of cracks in thin sheets of aluminum that represented aircraft fuselage structures. An early three-dimensional DIC system was also used to measure the out-of-plane displacement of a long crack in a thin sheet.
The use of DIC at NASA LaRC increased dramatically in the early 2000s with the availability of commercial three-dimensional DIC software and advances in digital camera technology. The DIC measurements were used initially for qualitative comparisons with results from finite element models, but quickly transitioned to quantitative comparisons. The applications of DIC have included: correlation of structural test measurements and analytical models, flight hardware ground test qualification, material characterization at strains beyond yield, damage tolerance testing for qualification of fracture critical flight hardware, characterization of weld behavior beyond yield, the characterization of fracture and ductile tearing, ultra-highspeed (>1,000,000 frames per second) explosive testing, wind tunnel structural response testing, and many other applications.
This presentation will provide and overview of how DIC has been used to support testing of aerospace structures and materials at NASA LaRC. Several brief case studies will be presented to highlight the type of data that can be extracted from DIC measurements. These case studies will demonstrate a wide range of applicability of DIC relative to structural and material testing and discuss lessons learned over the years.