Development of Micromechanics Finite Element for Analysis of Composites With Local Damage

Abstract

An analysis model is presented to analyze continuous fiber-reinforced composite structures with some local damage such as matrix cracks. Two separate material properties of fiber and matrix are used in the analysis model instead of a smeared-out global anisotropic material property. Stresses acting on fibers and stresses acting on matrix are computed directly. If there are local matrix cracks in the direction perpendicular to the fiber orientation in a composite structure, the broken matrix is modeled not to sustain any tensile stress in the fiber direction. A finite element formulation is derived for the analysis model. Some numerical problems are presented to test the proposed analysis model.