STIFFNESS PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES WITH MATRIX CRACKING AND INTERIOR DELAMINATION

Two modes of damage in composite laminates are considered: the intralaminar damage (matrix cracking) and the interlaminar damage (interior delamination). Using a vectorial representation of damage as internal variables in a phenomenological theory, relationships between the overall stiffness properties and the intensity of damage in the individual modes are determined. These relationships show that the intralaminar damage reduces all elastic moduli for a general orientation of the damage entities (cracks) and changes the initial orthotropic symmetry of a laminate. The interlaminar damage, however, does not change the symmetry but reduces the moduli. Predictions of the elastic moduli changes are compared with experimental results, showing excellent agreement. 1986.

STIFFNESS PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES WITH MATRIX CRACKING AND INTERIOR DELAMINATION Academic Article