CompTest conferences aim to gather together the international scientific community working in the field of testing and modelling of composites.

Research into heterogeneous and anisotropic materials and structures raise a number of challenges including:

• the identification of numerous parameters
• development of specific test fixtures (shear, compression, fracture toughness)
• control of parasitic effects

Consequently, development of testing and model identification procedures is an important focus.

Recent developments in optical whole-field measurement techniques
(speckle interferometry and digital image correlation) and in-situ damage monitoring (acoustic emission, optical fibre sensors, X-ray CT) open a very broad field of investigation.

Testing and identification procedures have developed over the last few decades based on limited local strain measurements.  These are adapted to integrate the extensive data produced by whole-field methods. Testing to determine other physical parameters such as thermal expansion, critical values of thermodynamic forces, cure shrinkage or moisture absorption also poses considerable challenges.

Apart from prominent general composites conferences such as ICCM and ECCM, opportunities to exchange information on the topic of composites testing are comparably limited.

The objective of the CompTest conference is to enable and encourage informal scientific exchange.