Quantifying the effect of homogeneous and localized damage mechanisms on the damping properties of damaged GFRP and CFRP continuous and woven composite laminates-an FEA approach

The work reported in this paper describes the development of a hybrid methodology for evaluating the effect of damage on the damping properties of woven damaged woven and non-woven Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics (GFRP) and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) laminates. The main damage mechanisms considered are matrix cracking and tow fracture. Furthermore, the effect of highly localized damage mechanisms on damping is analyzed, in the case of woven GFRP and CFRP laminates containing a circular notch. This hybrid methodology is a synergy of laboratory observations and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) that eventually leads to the evaluation of the effect of homogeneously distributed damage to a composite laminates damped response, analysis of the vibration of notched laminates that cannot be provided for by continuum mechanics and the analysis of localized damage mechanisms in woven CFRP laminates and generally systems that do not facilitate visual inspection of damage mechanisms.