Investigation into brittle flexural failure in composite laminates by crack band model and Hashin theory

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Alireza Nazari ¹

Mehdi Khanzadeh-Moradllo ²

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Technical and Vocational University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA

10.22067/jacsm.2024.81229.1169

Abstract

To assess the ultimate strength of polymeric composite laminates, various criteria have been proposed, however the response of composite laminates depends on characteristics of the specimens such as the type of material, dimensions of the specimens and the fabrication type. In this paper, the composite laminates, made of UD glass fibers and vinylester resin were examined under 3PB condition. Additionally, the FE models were used to simulate the mechanical behavior of specimens under 3PB. The degradation of stiffness and the ultimate brittle failure of the laminates were modeled using the Hashin damage in the matrix and the bundle failure model related to breakage of the fibers. The algorithm determined for the FE model, could predict the ultimate strength of the composite laminates accurately. A comparison between the experimental and the simulation results indicated the reliability of the modeling technique to assess both progressive and brittle failures in the composite laminates.

Keywords

Composite laminates

Crack band model

Hashin criteria

Energy absorption

Progressive damage

Subjects

• Composite materials

---

References

1. M. Jones, "Mechanics of composite materials with different moduli in tension and compression", Final Scientific Report, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSC), Texas, (1978).
2. E. Bullock, "Strength ratios of composite materials in flexure and in tension", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 200-206, (1974). https://doi.org/10.1177/002199837400800209
3. R. Wisnom, "The relationship between tensile and flexural strength of unidirectional composites", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 26, No. 8, pp. 1173-1180, (1992). https://doi.org/10.1177/002199839202600805
4. M. Whitney and M. Knight, "The relationship between tensile strength and flexure strength in fiber-reinforced composites", Experimental Mechanics, Vol. 20, No. 6, Pp. 211-216, (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02327601
5. L. Smith, M.W. Wardle, and C. Zweben, "Test methods for fiber tensile strength, composite flexural modulus and properties of fabric-reinforced laminates", Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Composite Materials: Testing and Design, (1979), Pp. 228-262. https://doi.org/10.1520/STP36912S
6. K. Cattell and K.A. Kibble, "Determination of the relationship between strength and test method for glass fibre epoxy composite coupons using Weibull analysis", Materials and Design, Vol. 22, No. 4, Pp. 245-250, (2001). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-3069(00)00096-0
7. M. Doudican, B. Zand, P. Amaya, et al., "Strain energy based failure criterion: comparison of numerical predictions and experimental observations for symmetric composite laminates subjected to triaxial loading", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 47, No. 6, Pp. 847-866, (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-0327-9
8. R. Wisnom, "Size effects in the testing of fibre-composite materials", Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 59, No. 13, Pp. 1937-1957, (1999). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-3538(99)00053-6
9. Mohahmmadi and M. Mahmoodi, "The effect of material degradation on the bending of laminated plates", Journal of Applied and Computational Sciences in Mechanics, Vol. 34, No. 2, Pp. 1-14, (2022). https://doi.org/10.22067/jacsm.2022.76213.1113
10. J. Ramezani and M. Mohahmmadi, "Numerical and experimental investigation of deflection of laminated composites due to drop weight impact of different projectiles", Journal of Applied and Computational Sciences in Mechanics, Vol. 33, No. 2, Pp. 41-54, (2021). https://doi.org/10.22067/jacsm.2022.74339.1078
11. Mujika, N. Carbajal, A. Arrese, and I. Mondragon, "Determination of tensile and compressive moduli by flexural tests", Polymer Testing, Vol. 25, No. 6, Pp. 766-771, (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2006.05.003
12. C.S. Moreno, A.R. Gutiérrez and J.L.M. Vicente, "Different response under tension and compression of unidirectional carbon fibre laminates in a three-point bending test", Composite Structures, Vol. 136, Pp. 706-711, (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2015.06.017
13. R. Nazari, M.Z. Kabir and H. Hosseni-Toudeshky, "Investigation into stiffness degradation progress in Glass/Vinylester laminated beams under large deformations", Scientia Iranica A, Vol. 25, No. 5, Pp. 2389-2403, (2018). https://doi.org/10.24200/sci.2017.4220
14. Bhattacharyya, B.K. Chakrabarti, et al., Modelling critical and catastrophic phenomena in geoscience, Lecture Notes in Physics, Vol. 705, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, (2006). https://doi.org/10.24200/sci.2017.4220
15. W. Kim and C.S. Hong, "Progressive failure model for the analysis of laminated composites based on finite element approach", Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Vol. 11, No. 10, Pp. 1078-1092, (1992). https://doi.org/10.1177/073168449201101001
16. Zweben, "Is there a size effect in composite materials and structures?", Composites, Vol. 25, Pp. 451-454, (1994).
17. M. Huang, "Progressive flexural failure analysis of laminated composites with knitted fabric reinforcement", Mechanics of Materials, Vol. 36, Pp. 239-260, (2004). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-6636(03)00011-5
18. A. Caminero, G.P. Rodríguez and V. Muñoz, "Effect of stacking sequence on Charpy impact and flexural damage behavior of composite laminates", Composite Structures, Vol. 136, Pp. 345-357, (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2015.10.019
19. Li, S.R. Hallett and M.R. Wisnom, "A finite element based statistical model for progressive tensile fibre failure in composite laminates", Composites: Part B, Vol. 45, Pp. 433-439, (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2012.08.001
20. Sepahvand, M. Hosseini and H. Hatami, "An experimental and numerical investigation into concrete specimens with expanded metal sheet under impact loading", Journal of Applied and Computational Sciences in Mechanics, Vol. 32, No. 1, Pp. 211-229, (2021). https://doi.org/10.22067/jacsm.2021.56750.0
21. Azeem, H.H. Ya, et al., "Macroscale assessment of low‐velocity impact on hybrid composite laminates", Materialwiss Werkstofftech, Vol. 52, No. 10, Pp. 1101-1111, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/mawe.202000325
22. Iannucci and J. Ankersen, "An energy based damage model for thin laminated composites", Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 66, Pp. 934-951, (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2005.07.033
23. R. Nazari, "Investigation of load carrying and progressive failure in the composite sandwich panels with elastomeric foam under biaxial bending", Ph. D. Thesis, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran, (2016).
24. ASTM, "Standard test methods for flexural properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics and electrical insulating materials", Designation: D790-07, (2007).
25. R. Nazari, M.Z. Kabir and H. Hosseni-Toudeshky, "On the decreasing flexural modulus of glass/vinylester composite beams up to failure state", Latin American Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 14, No. 8, Pp. 1-26, (2017). https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-78253662
26. ABAQUS, Analysis user’s manual. Version 6.10, ABAQUS Inc, (2010).
27. Mohammadkhani, S.S. Jalali and M. Safarabadi, "Experimental and numerical investigation of low-velocity impact on steel wire reinforced foam core/composite skin sandwich panels", Composite Structures, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112992
28. P. Bazant and B.H. Oh, "Crack band theory for fracture of concrete", Matériaux et Construction, Vol. 16, Pp. 155-177, (1983).https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02486267
29. Hashin, "On elastic behavior of fibers reinforced materials of arbitrary transverse phase geometry", Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Vol. 13, Pp. 119-134, (1965). https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-5096(65)90015-3
30. Hashin and A. Rotem, "A fatigue criterion for fiber reinforced materials", Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 7, Pp. 448-464, (1973). https://doi.org/10.1177/002199837300700404
31. P. Camanho and C.G. Davila, "Mixed-mode decohesion finite elements for the simulation of delamination in composite materials", NASA/TM-2002-211737, NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), Virginia, (2002).
32. Maimi, P.P. Camanho, J.A. Mayugo and C.G. Davila, "A thermodynamically consistent damage model for advanced composites", NASA/TM-2006-214282, NASA Center for Aerospace Information (CASI), Virginia, (2006).
33. Alfano and M.A. Crisfield, "Finite element interface models for the delamination analysis of laminated composites: mechanical and computational issues", International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 50, Pp. 1701-1736, (2001). https://doi.org/10.1002/nme.93
34. R. Nazari, M.Z. Kabir and H. Hosseni-Toudeshky, "Investigation of elastomeric foam response applied as core for composite sandwich beams through progressive failure of the beams", Journal of Sandwich Structures & Materials, Vol. 21, No. 2, Pp. 604-638, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1177/1099636217697496