The virtual crack closure technique is a well-known finite element–based numerical method used to simulate fractures and it suits well to both of two-dimensional and three-dimensional interlaminar fracture analysis. In particular, strain energy release rate during a three-dimensional interlaminar fracture of laminated composite materials can successfully be computed using the virtual crack closure technique. However, the element size of a numerical model is an important concern for the success of the computation. The virtual crack closure technique analysis with a finer mesh converges the numerical results to experimental ones although such a model may need excessive modeling and computing times. Since, the finer element size through a crack path causes oscillation of the stresses at the free ends of the model, the plies in the delaminated zone may overlap. To eliminate this problem, the element size for the virtual crack closure technique should be adjusted to ascertain converged yet not oscillating results with an admissible processing time. In this study, mesh size sensitivity of the virtual crack closure technique is widely investigated for mode I and mode II interlaminar fracture analyses of laminated composite material models by considering experimental force and displacement responses of the specimens. Optimum sizes of the finite elements are determined in terms of the force, the displacement, and the strain energy release rate distribution along the width of the model.
Mesh size sensitivity analysis for interlaminar fracture of the fiber-reinforced laminated composites