MICROMECHANICS CHARACTERIZATION OF SUBLAMINATE DAMAGE

A micromechanics analytical model is developed for characterizing the fracture behaviour of a fibre reinforced composite laminate containing a transverse matrix crack and longitudinal debonding along 0/90 interface. Both the matrix and the fibres are considered as linear elastic. A consistent shear lag theory is used to represent the stress-displacement relations. The governing equations, a set of differential-difference equations, are solved satisfying the boundary conditions appropriate to the damage configuration by making use of an eigenvalue technique. The properties of the constituents appear in the model explicitly. Displacements and stresses in the fibres and the matrix are obtained, and the growth of damage is investigated by using the point stress criterion. The investigation includes fibre stress distribution in zero degree plies, transverse crack and debonding intitiation as functions of laminate geometry, and the effect of fibre breaks in the zero degree ply on damage growth. The predicted damage growth patterns and the corresponding critical strains agree with the finite element and experimental results. © 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers.