Analytical and Numerical Investigation of the Length of the Cohesive Zone in Delaminated Composite Materials

• Type: Article in International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2008

Authors

Turon, A (Author) Other; Costa, J (Author) Other; Camanho, PP (Author) FEUP; Maimi, P (Author) Other

Conference proceedings International

Title: Mechanical Response of Composites

Pages: 77-+

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 25 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-DV2

Abstract (EN): An accurate prediction of the length of the cohesive zone ahead of a crack tip is fundamental for the correct simulation of delamination in composite materials under both quasi-static and fatigue loading. To ensure a correct dissipation of energy during delamination propagation, several cohesive finite elements have to span the cohesive zone. The length of the cohesive zone depends on the material properties, the geometry/size of the structure, and on the loading mode. This chapter presents new expressions to estimate the length of the cohesive zone under general mixed-mode loading conditions and for finite-sized geometries. The analytical model is validated by comparing its predictions with numerical results based on cohesive-zone models. The relevance of the proposed analytical solutions to the effective simulation of delamination is demonstrated by simulating delamination growth under mixed-mode loading using meshes with the length of the elements greater than the cohesive zone length.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 3