Parametrically-upscaled continuum damage mechanics (PUCDM) model for plain weave woven composites: Part II model validation and parametric studies

Abstract

In this second of the two-part paper, the two-level parametrically-upscaled continuum damage mechanics models (PUCDM-1 and PUCDM-2) developed in the first part Xiao et al. (2022) are applied for multiscale analysis of plain weave composite structures. The material damage response in the intra-yarn unidirectional microstructures and the woven yarn–matrix mesostructures are respectively represented by level-1 and level-2 PUCDM models. The models bridge material length scales through explicit functions of the lower-scale morphological descriptors (representative aggregated micro/mesostructural parameters or RAMPs) and material properties (Xmat) with high computational efficiency. The paper focuses on model validation with experiments and parametric studies. The model is validated with observations from tensile tests on an hourglass-shaped specimen with good agreement at multiple scales. The validated PUCDM model is then employed for the analysis of multiscale deformation and damage mechanisms in single-edge notched bending (SENB) tests on woven composite beams. Parametric studies are performed to investigate the effect of lower-scale morphology and material properties on the structural damage response of the woven composite beams.