A comparative study of failure criteria applied to composite materials

¹ Équipe de Recherche Appliquée sur les Polymères, Département de Génie Mécanique, ENSEM, Université Hassan II Aïn Chok, BP 8118, Oasis, Casablanca, Morocco
² Laboratoire de Mécanique, Département de Génie mécanique, ENSAM, Université Moulay Ismail, Présidence, Marjane 2, BP 298 Mekness, Morocco
³ Laboratoire d'Ondes et Milieux Complexes, FRE 3102 CNRS, 53 rue Prony, BP 540, 76058 Le Havre Cedex, France

Corresponding author: j.echaabi@ensem-uh2c.ac.ma

Received: 25 December 2007
Accepted: 1 April 2008

Abstract

This article presents an analytical and numerical investigation of the failure loads, successive failures and failure modes of laminated beams. Two simulations were developed to model various composites behaviours under transverse static loading. Progressive failure analysis has been carried out in linear and elastic range. For the two simulations, the first order shear deformation theory with shear correction factor and the finite element method have been used respectively. The main objective of this paper is to evaluate the overall damage and successive failure for different laminates obtained by failure criteria and then to conduct a comparative study of the commonly used failure criteria. Various failure criteria have been studied to predict the load, when the weakest lamina fails under flexural bending test. After the failure of the weakest ply, the stiffness is reduced to account for fibre or matrix failures. The failure criteria are tested with various stiffness reduction models. Comparisons are made between the failure loads, successive failures, failure modes, macroscopic curves and the total behaviour curves obtained by the various failure criteria used.