Modeling multiple damage mechanisms via a multi-fiber multi-layer representative volume element (M2RVE)

Abstract

This paper is aimed at incorporating all possible micro-scale damage mechanisms, namely, fiber failure, matrix cracking, fiber-matrix debonding and delamination in multi-fiber multi-layer representative volume element (M2RVE) subjected to multi-axial loading. Different loading conditions have been selected to induce a particular or combined damage mechanism/s to study the damage evolution. The predicted constitutive material responses for tensile and in-plane shear loading by M2RVE are in reasonably good agreement with the experimental results. M2RVE then used for capturing all the microscale damage mechanisms even for complex multi-axial loading. The stress–strain responses have been effectively captured for different combinations of dominant damage mechanisms.