Stiffness Reduction Due to Fiber Breakage

Reduction of longitudinal stiffness induced by fiber breakage in uni-directional fiber-reinforced composites is examined. A model problem simulating a dilute concen tration of broken fibers which are partially debonded from the matrix is formulated and solved approximately. The extent of debonding emerges as a principal determinant of stiffness reduction. For reasonable values of material parameters, a stiffness change of several percent is predicted.