Modelling damage of multiple delaminations and transverse matrix cracking in laminated composites due to low velocity lateral impact

This paper presents the latest development by the authors in modelling damage due to low velocity impact, i.e., negligible role of inertia to laminated composites. The most common modes of damage are transverse cracking and delamination. The problem has been addressed in a series of publications by the authors. Upon a successful partition of the total energy release rate into individual modes, a mixed mode delamination propagation criterion has been employed for modelling delamination propagation, which is also applicable to multiple delamination problems. A simplistic ply-discount technique has been employed to incorporate the effects of transverse matrix cracking. The model has been applied to a number of problems from idealistic DCB to practical problems, such as quasi-static indentation of filament-wound pipes as widely used in offshore and many other industries. An attempt has been made to employ a continuum model to simulate delamination so that it can be implemented using a commercial FE code for wider engineering applications. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.