Identifying failure mechanisms of composite structures under compressive load (Q1282831)

Various failure mechanisms involving both local and global deformation mechanisms of layered structures, consisting of differently oriented orthotropic laminae, are investigated with a large deformation finite element analysis. Our aim is to identify the dominant mode which leads to the structural failure under a given boundary condition and geometrical shape. It is assumed that these structures contain initial interlaminar flaws represented by embedded delaminations. Such flaws can play a significant role in defining overall structural integrity and deformation mechanisms. Our study considers two structures with distinguished shapes, both consisting of four layer laminae. The first structure is a flat panel under compressive load, and the second structure is a cylindrical shell subjected to external pressure.