Abstract
A method based on a fracture model for estimation of the ultimate load on a composite element containing a defect is suggested. The fracture process is assumed to be localized in the vicinity of the defect. Stress and strain fields are assumed to be homogeneous within the fracture process zone (FPZ). The size of the FPZ is determined by equating a chosen component of the elastic stress tensor with a value of the characteristic stress, α ∗. To estimate this value a numerical calculation algorithm is proposed. The calculation is based on the experimentally observed load versus crack opening displacement (LCOD) curve. The maximum load in the experiment may be about half the ultimate load. The value of α ∗ and the size of the FPZ determine a value of the effective surface energy, G, as a function of load, P. The J-integral is also calculated as a function of P. The ultimate load, P ∗, is a solution of the equation G(P) = J(P). The deviation of calculated values of P ∗ from measured values for a ±45° carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate is smaller than the natural scatter of these values.
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