The relationships between fatigue damage, stress redistribution, and residual stiffness and strength were investigated for notched graphite epoxy laminates during fulIy-reversed cyclic loads. Two material systems, AS4/3501-6 and AS4/1808, two lamination arrangements, (0,45,90,-45)_s₄ and (0,45,0,-45)_s₄, and two notch configurations, central hole and opposing semi-circular edge notches, were used to obtain a fundamental understanding of the fatigue effect in specimens under low and high cycle lifetimes. Damage was evaluated with penetrant-enhanced X-ray radiography and Iaminate deply. Tensile and compressive residual strengths were measured at three stages of damage development. A recently developed nondestructive testing technique, Stress Pattern Analysis by Thermal Emission, was implemented to obtain full-field measurements of surface stresses during damage initiation and growth. A new micromechanical theory of the adiabatic thermoelastic effect in Iaminated fiber composites was conceived to assist the interpretation of SPATE measurements. / Ph. D.