An investigation on nonlocal continuum damage models for composite laminated panels

The performance of nonlocal approaches based on nonlocal strains, damage driving forces and damage variables is investigated for progressive damage analysis of thick/moderately thick laminated panels under uniform transverse loading using eight-noded isoparametric finite element based on a global higher-order shear deformation theory including zig-zag function and first-order theory. The nonlocal variables are obtained from corresponding local variables using layerwise finite element with quadratic through the thickness variation in each layer. The effect of nonlocal parameter on convergence of failure load, maximum deflection and damage variables with successive mesh refinement is investigated. It is concluded that the convergence improvement based on all the three nonlocal models is almost same and the nonlocal scale parameter in the range of 0.5–3% of plate/panel dimensions yields a good convergence rate.