Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
820650 Composites Science and Technology 2012 11 Pages PDF
Abstract

Fracture experiments were carried out on continuous fiber polymer matrix laminated composite panels to investigate cohesive, through-the-thickness crack propagation. The experiments were designed to examine curved cracks, resulting from either eccentric loading or non-symmetric specimen geometry with respect to the starter crack. The constitutive description of the observed complex diffused damage zone, which from a continuum viewpoint may be considered a macroscopic crack, involves complex/evolving traction–separation relations and mode-mixity conditions. This paper presents some relevant experimental investigations and their numerical modeling using the variational multiscale cohesive method developed by Rudraraju et al. [21] which is an effective framework for simulating cohesive crack evolution and thereby predicting the residual strength of cracked composite panels.

► We have presented a validated, mesh-independent method to predict crack growth in a fiber reinforced laminate. ► The method is useful for assessing the structural integrity and damage tolerance of composite structural panels. ► The method uses measurable inputs that can be obtained from standard coupon level tests.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Engineering Engineering (General)
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