Review of Degradation Models for Progressive Failure Analysis of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

Abstract

The success of any progressive failure analysis of composite structures is influenced by the failure criteria and the associated material property degradation models. The failure criteria are the conditions for the prediction of the occurrence of material damage. The degradation models are mathematical representations of the residual properties for each material damage state predicted by the failure criteria. A brief summary of the major classes of failure criteria pertaining to the degradation models is followed by a review of degradation models that have been developed for unidirectional polymer matrix composite laminates. The review is organized around the relationships of the various models to associated failure criteria as well as the various constitutive frameworks for finite element implementation. Models that invoke residual properties as a one-time sudden degradation of the original properties are described followed by models where the mathematical representation of at least one property invokes gradual property degradation as a function of some other evolving field variable.

Strength prediction for bi-axial braided composites by a multi-scale modelling approach

“…At fibre failure (Eq. 1), the Young's modulus was reduced to zero instantaneously [35]. It should be noted that failure mechanisms of fibre tows under longitudinal compression are quite complicated [36].…”

C0 Layerwise Model with Fixed Degrees of Freedom and Variable In- and Out-of-Plane Kinematics by Strain Energy Updating Technique

“…As shown, e.g., by Liu and Islam [10] and Vachon, Brailovski, and Terriault [11], these effects adversely affect stiffness, natural frequencies, vibration behavior, buckling loads, the mechanisms of local damage formation and growth in service, as well as the failure and the post-failure behavior, as shown by Garnich and Akula Venkata [12]. Their detrimental influence becomes very severe if the ratio of in-plane to transverse stiffness properties is high, the material properties of constituent layers abruptly change across the thickness, anisotropy is severe and structures are thick.…”

“…, in this case all the expressions of the continuity functions appearing in Equation (12) are also derived at each interface once for all using symbolic calculus, still being rather intricate expressions to manipulate.…”

Simulation on Low Velocity Impacted Damage of Sandwich Composite with Finite Element Analysis

“…Typical damage models combine of failure methods, used to identify the initiation of damage, material degradation strategies and energy balance treatment due to damage evaluation [9]. In particular, stiffness degradation schemes developed in the framework of continuum damage mechanics (CDMs).…”