Load Carrying Capacity of Notched CFRP Laminates
On the basis of a micromechanical study, a method for evaluating load carrying capacity of notched CFRP laminates is developed. The damage zone at a notch tip in CFRP laminates is modeled as a fictitious crack with a cohesive stress acting on the crack surface. Then, applying the Weibull weakest link theory to the strength of surviving fiber bundles on the crack surface, we derive the relationship between the cohesive stress and the crack opening displacement, i.e., the tension-softening relation. By incorporating it in a BEM scheme, the load-displacement relationship is simulated. The simulated result for notched CPRP laminates is compared with experimental ones, and it is found that the simulated and experimental results of load carrying capacity are consistent.