Modeling transverse cracking in laminates with a single layer of elements per ply

This study aims to bridge the gap between classical understanding of transverse cracking in [0/90]s laminates and recent computational methods for the modeling of progressive laminate failure. Specifically, the study investigates under which conditions a three-dimensional model with cohesive cracks can reproduce the in situ effect for the ply...

A computational model for prediction of progressive damage in laminated composites

A finite element model based on solid-like shell elements is presented for the simulation of progressive damage in laminated composite structures. To model mesh independent matrix cracking, a discontinuous solid-like shell element (DSLS) is utilized. The shell element has only displacement degrees of freedom, thus avoids the need for a...

A numerical study on interacting damage mechanisms in FRP laminated composite plates

Experimental testing and numerical analysis often travel in tandem in a design process. Recent advances in novel numerical techniques to simulate mesh objective crack propagation offer a great potential for accurate and efficient damage analysis of composite laminates. This paper presents a numerical study on computational modeling of mesh...

Simulation of cusp formation in mode II delamination

On the microlevel, cusps are formed during delamination crack growth under mode II loading conditions. In this work, two different approaches to simulate this process are presented. Firstly a cohesive zone method where cohesive segments are introduced between a pair of neighbouring elements when the traction between those elements exceeds the...

Computational modeling of impact damage in laminated composite plates

A thick level set interface model for simulating fatigue-drive delamination in composites

This paper presents a new damage model for simulating fatigue-driven delamination in composite laminates. This model is developed based on the Thick Level Set approach (TLS) and provides a favorable link between damage mechanics and fracture mechanics through the non-local evaluation of the energy release rate. Previously, this approach has been...