Peridynamic analytical method for progressive damage in notched composite laminates

A new peridynamic model for fiber reinforced composite laminate was proposed and applied on the analysis of the progressive damages in composite laminate with notch or open hole. The mechanical characters of composite were described by bonds whose performance was depending on the distance and relative position of this couple of particles. In order to refine the description of composite's anisotropy, the concept of transverse modulus in classic laminate theory was introduced into the definition of bonds. Peridynamic parameters such as micromodulus and critical stretch were established following the similar concepts in elasticity theory and mechanics of composite. In this peridynamic model three types of damages in composite laminate could be analyzed: fiber fracture, matrix fracture and delamination. The mesh independency was also examined for this approach. In the examples of laminate with unidirectional and multidirectional layup, the progressive damages and failure modes were successfully analyzed under a tensile load and had a good agreement with experiments. Moreover, much more details in the procedure of damage initiations and propagations, including fiber broken, matrix fracture and delamination, could be revealed. It had shown that this peridynamic model had a great potential for composite analysis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.