THE ROLE OF MATERIAL ORTHOTROPY IN FRACTURE SPECIMENS FOR COMPOSITES

Guided by the orthotropy rescaling technique and other available analytic results, a systematic analysis is conducted for commonly used fracture specimens to investigate the role of material orthotropy in fracture behavior of unidirectional composites. Included are notched bars, delamination beams and hybrid sandwiches, of many varieties. All numerical calibrations are presented with fitting formulae in the relevant parameter regimes. The effect of material orthotropy on fracture behavior of unidirectional composites is thus quantified, which significantly reduces the complexities involved in both experimental investigation and theoretical modelling. A summary of the orthotropy rescaling concepts, with some extensions, is also included.