Development of a Synergistic Damage Mechanics-Based Model for Predicting Multiaxial Effects in Progressive Failure of Composite Structures

A major benefit of advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites is that they can be tailored and optimized to suit a particular structural application by orienting the reinforcing fibers along multiple directions. For practical load-bearing structural components manufactured from multidirectional laminates, predicting their mechanical behaviour is quite complex. This is specifically the case for progressive failure analysis of these materials when subjected to quasi-static or fatigue loading since local cracks will initiate and evolve in multiple directions simultaneously. The difficulty of the problem increases further when these laminates are subjected to complex multiaxial stress states. This is due to the fact that the multidirectional crack state will be subjected to additional crack driving stress components, which will ultimately alter the crack evolution characteristics. A synergistic damage mechanics (SDM) methodology has recently been developed to address these issues in progressive damage analyses of composite laminates containing multiple damage modes and subjected to uniaxial loading [1]. By combining micromechanics and continuum damage mechanics, the SDM methodology provides a rigorous and practical tool for accurate prediction of progressive damage behaviour in composite structures. This is essential for accurately predicting the integrity and durability of practical structures, which will lead to safer and more efficient designs.