DELAMINATION ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITES USING A FINITE ELEMENT BASED DISCRETE DAMAGE ZONE MODEL

We perform delamination analysis in laminated composites in 2D and 3D using the discrete damage zone model within the framework of the finite element method. In this approach, springlike elements are placed at the laminate interface and damage laws are used to prescribe both interfacial spring softening and bulk material stiffness degradation to study crack propagation. The irreversibility of damage naturally accounts for the subsequent reduction of material stiffness once the material is loaded beyond the elastic limit. The model is implemented in the commercially available ABAQUS software via the user element subroutine (UEL). Numerical results for 2D mixed-mode and 3D mode-I delamination are presented. The results for the benchmark examples show good agreement with those obtained from virtual crack closure technique (VCCT), which validates the method. This discrete method is particularly suitable when the material nonlinearities in the continuum surrounding the crack tip are significant.

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