Physical Modelling of Engineering Problems of Composites and Structures

Abstract

There is an alternative way for starting the design process of composite materials and structures (particularly, but not exclusively, aerospace structures) made from advanced composite laminate. It is based on sound fundamental understanding of the mechanisms by which damage accumulates with time in the laminate and structure across several orders of magnitude of size: fibre breakage and matrix cracking that lead progressively to ply fracture, followed by laminate cracking (delamination and splitting) that leads to component failure. Application of this approach to a predictive design methodology requires the identification and understanding of failure mechanisms in the material at the micron level of size and fracture of the component on the size scale orders of magnitude greater.