Fracture statistics of a unidirectional composite

We propose a model dealing with the prediction of the failure stress of a unidirectional composite 0 degrees; it is based on a probabilistic micro-macro approach. Experimental tests have been carried out on specimens (unidirectional composite 0 degrees T300/914) with different gauge lengths in order to estimate the scale effect in the failure probability distribution. The distribution of defects along the fibres was estimated through the multifragmentation and the single fibre test. The image analysis technique was used to estimate the local volume fraction of the fibres in the bulk of the material. The above physical information is introduced in the model based on a finite element analysis. The scale effect and the influence of the involved parameters on the failure of the material were studied at two different scales and a good agreement was found between the numerical predictions and the experimental results.