3D progressive damage analysis of a unidirectional multi-layered composite for mechanical joints

ABSTRACT

Due to the presence of holes in composite mechanical joints, stresses around the holes are increased, and they may cause failure in the composites. Analysis of the composite behaviour after damage initiation around the holes is important, complex, and mostly three-dimensional. In order to achieve accurate results about the composite failure modes, damage analysis using a modern criterion is needed. In this research, to investigate the damage behaviour of a unidirectional multi-layered composite plate of a mechanical joint under pure tension, three codes are prepared in the USDFLD, VUSDFLD and VUMAT subroutines based on the Hashin criterion and implemented in ABAQUS software. These codes, using the methods of suddenly and gradually degradation in composite properties, progressively simulate the three-dimensional damage behaviour of the composite plate after damage initiation. The results show that, when a mechanical joint is under pure tension, the adequate distance from the edge of a hole to the edge of a composite plate is about two times the hole diameter. Furthermore, it is found that to rapidly investigate and analyse a mechanical joint in the composite structures, the USDFLD subroutine, which uses suddenly decreased material properties after damage initiation, is reasonable and more efficient.

KEYWORDS:

• Progressive damage
• composite
• multi-layer
• mechanical joint
• finite element method

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abdulreza Kabiri Ataabadi

Abdulreza Kabiri Ataabadi is assistant professor at mechanical department of Malek Ashtar University of Technology of Iran. He spent his education from undergraduate to doctoral at Isfahan University of Technology and received his Ph.D degree in 2009 in the field of failure of composite materials from the mechanical department of Isfahan University of Technology. His scientific activities in the field of design; Failure and fatigue of composite structures.

Sattar Mesripour

Sattar Mesripour received his graduate degree in 2016 from mechanical department of Islamic Azad University of Iran in the field of mechanical joint design of composite structures under the supervision of Dr. A. Kabiri Ataabadi.

Mehrshad Moshref-Javadi

Dr. Mehrshad Moshref-Javadi is Assistant Professor of Material Engineering at MUT university, Iran. He received his PhD from Isfahan University of Technology, Iran, in 2007 as the best student. He has been teaching some related courses in mechanics department. His research contributions are in the field of hydrogen, corrosion and multiphysic simulation and material selection.

Ghadir Ahmadi Jeyed

Ghadir Ahmadi Jeyed is Ph.D student of mechanical department of Tabriz University of iran. He received his graduate degree in 2014 from mechanical department of Malek Ashtar University of technology of Iran in the field of fatigue analysis of composite structures under the supervision of Dr. A. Kabiri Ataabadi.