ITEMS

modern scholarly publishers in the finest tradition

Journals

	Search

International Journal for Multiscale Computational Engineering

ISSN for PRINT: 1543-1649

Institutional price:	$747.00
Issues per year:	6

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2003, Volume1

144 pages

DOI: 10.1615/IntJMultCompEng.v1.i4

Issue price - $178.00

An Energy-Based Statistical Model for Multiple Fractures in Composite Laminates

K. P. Herrmann
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

Junqian Zhang
Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

Jinghong Fan
Alfred University; Research Center for Materials Mechanics, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China

ABSTRACT

A theory is developed to predict the evolution of transverse ply cracking in a composite laminate as a function of the underlying statistical fracture toughness and the applied load. The instantaneous formation of a matrix crack spanning both the ply thickness and the ply width is assumed to be governed by the energy criterion associated with the material fracture toughness, Γ, at the ply level. Assume multiple matrix fractures occur quasistatically and sequentially such that the ply cracks form one after another under the constant external load imposed on the specimen. The number of cracks, n, within the gauge length, 2L, is a discrete random variable for a given applied load, σ, because the fracture toughness varies with the location of fractures in a given specimen as well as from specimen to specimen. The probability function f(n, σ, L) of the discrete random variable, n, is determined from the fracture toughness distribution and the solution for the potential energy release rate. Consequently, the distribution of the crack density, d_n = n/2L, is obtained. Finally, the mean crack density is formulated as a function of the applied load.