Micromechanical-based hybrid mesoscopic three-dimensional approach for non-linear progressive failure analysis of composite structures—Part B: Comparison with experimental data

Abstract

This paper presents a comparison between the experimental results provided in the PART B of the second World Wide Failure Exercise and the predictions obtained from a Micromechanical-based hybrid mesoscopic 3D approach described in the PART A of this exercise. This hybrid damage and failure approach is based on physical principles and introduces micromechanical aspects (such as the effect of the local debonding on the non-linear behaviour and on the strengths) at the mesoscopic scale. The behaviour of the UD ply is described by a thermo-viscoelastic model. For the failure phenomena, a distinction is made between different modes of failure: failure in fibre mode, in-plane interfibre mode and through-the-thickness interfibre mode. A fine damage model, that describes the evolution of the crack density and of the associated local delamination, is used to take into account the degradation of the mechanical properties of a failed ply in in-plane interfibre mode until the final failure of the laminate. Finally, the final failure of the specimen is defined as a critical loss of rigidity of the laminate. The predictions are in quite good agreement with the experimental results.