Damage-plasticity in a uniaxially loaded composite lamina: Overall analysis (Q1388622)

The initiation and evolution of damage and elasto-plastic deformation in composite laminae is studied using an overall approach. In this approach, one damage tensor is used to describe damage in composite materials including the initiation, growth, and coalescence of voids and cracks in the matrix, fiber fracture, and debonding. The model is applied to a thin fiber-reinforced unidirectional composite lamina subjected to uniaxial tension. This problem is selected in order to demonstrate how the model can be used without resorting to the finite element method. A governing system of nine ordinary differential equations is established and solved numerically, and the results are discussed.