Interlaminar Stresses Calculation Using a Stacked-Shell Finite Element Modeling Approach

Abstract

The innovative stacked-shell modeling approach is investigated in the frame of an explicit finite element method for the prediction of laminated structural elements' static response, focusing on the interlaminar stress calculation. The main advantage of the investigated stacked-shell modeling technique is the lower computational cost compared to conventional methods, for the same accuracy in displacement and stress results. A laminated plate under sinusoidally distributed transverse loading, a laminated strip under three-point bending and a laminated cylindrical shell under cylindrical bending have been used in the assessment of the developed methodology; static results referring to displacement and both in-plane and out-of-plane stresses of the investigated cases have shown that the proposed technique is highly efficient in the calculation of interlaminar stresses of composite structures, which provides the background for an accurate and efficient delamination prediction.