Investigation of the Ballistic Performance of GFRP Laminate under 150 m/s High-Velocity Impact: Simulation and Experiment

The ballistic resistance of GFRP laminates subjected to high-velocity impact was studied. Based on the damage situation of GFRP laminate observed from the single-stage gas gun testing, the three-dimensional (3D) model combining strain rate effect and Hashin failure criterion was established, and the result presented good agreement between the simulation and experiment. Three factors, including layer angle, stacking sequence and proportion of different layer angles, were taken into consideration in the models. An orthogonal test method was used for the analysis, which can reduce the number of simulations effectively without sacrificing the accuracy of the result. The result indicated a correlation between the ballistic resistance and layouts of GFRP laminates, on which the stacking sequence contributed stronger influence. What was more, the laminate with layer angles 0 degrees/90 degrees and +/- 45 degrees presented greater ballistic resistance than the other angle pairs, and adopting an equal proportion of different layer angles is helpful for GFRP laminates to resist impact as well.

Automated summary

The study focused on the ballistic resistance of GFRP laminates subjected to high-velocity impact, using a 3D model combining strain rate effect and Hashin failure criterion. Factors such as layer angle, stacking sequence, and proportion of different layer angles were considered, showing that the stacking sequence has a stronger influence on the ballistic resistance. Laminates with layer angles of 0 degrees/90 degrees and +/- 45 degrees demonstrated greater resistance, while adopting an equal proportion of different layer angles is beneficial for impact resistance.