Transverse cracks in cross-ply laminates. 1. Stress analysis

Abstract

During service loading of cross-ply laminates, transverse cracks occur in plies. The cracks parallel to the fiber direction are extended over the full thickness of transverse plies and often cross the entire test specimen width. It is widely recognized that the changes of laminate thermomechanical constants, caused by the transverse cracking of composite laminates, can be significant. Theoretical stress analysis in the cross-ply laminates in the vicinity of cracks is performed using numerical (FE) and analytical methods. The effect of transverse cracks on the degradation of elastic properties will be discussed in Part 2 [1]. Approximate analytical micromechanical models based on shear lag predictions, variational analysis, and numerical 2D finite element calculations were verified in their predictive abilities. The three variational models used are based on the principle of minimum complementary energy and have different degrees of accuracy with respect to the stress assumptions used (Hashin's, 2D 0° and 2D 0°/90° models). Using FEM, the plane stress and strain state were analyzed. The effect of material properties and layer thickness on the stress distribution in a 90° layer was evaluated by varying the crack spacing. The crack opening displacement (COD), normalized with respect to the far field strain, is proposed as a measure of reduction of the mechanical properties. Since the CODs are rather insensitive to the crack spacing (crack density) in a wide region, they will be used in modeling the stiffness reduction in these laminates [1].