Development of a 3D finite element model at mesoscale for the crushing of unidirectional composites: Application to plates crushing

This paper presents the development of a new 3D finite element model for the simulation of UD composites materials under crushing, at the mesoscale. It is based on the Discrete Ply Model (DPM), enhanced with a new damage law to represent compression at constant stress due to localised crushing and its propagation from one element to another. The model aims to take into account the various damage types involved in UD laminates during crushing and the associated absorbed energies: delamination, splitting, ply rupture in tension or bending, compression due to localised fragmentation and friction. The model is confronted with experimental results obtained on laminated plates crushing: not only global metrics (force, energy absorbed...) but especially key morphological aspects of the crushing front (delamination lengths, splaying, number of plies under localised crushing, debris wedge...) thanks to high speed camera pictures.

Automated summary

This paper presents the development of a new 3D finite element model for simulating the behavior of unidirectional fiber composites during crushing. The model is validated through comparison with experimental results, showing its accuracy in capturing the crushing behavior.