Effect of Z-yarns on the stiffness and strength of three-dimensional woven composites

Micro-mechanics tools investigating the in-plane elastic and strength properties of 3D woven composites are developed in this work. Particular attention is directed toward constructing detailed geometry and finite element models of an example 3D weave architecture available in the literature. The models are then modified to investigate the effect of including the Z-yarns on the changes in stiffness and strength properties. In particular, the effect of incorporating the ‘Z-Crowns’ is quantified with the aid of three-dimensional finite element simulations.