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An experimental investigation is presented into the explosive blast response of fibre-reinforced polymer laminates used in naval ship structures. Blast tests using plastic explosive charges were performed in air on square target plates made of carbon-polyester, glass-polyester, carbon-vinyl ester or glass-vinyl ester laminates, which are composite materials used in naval ships. The laminates were dynamically loaded by shock waves of increasing pressure and impulse, and the deformation, damage and residual mechanical properties were determined. The amount of blast-induced damage and the post-blast mechanical properties depend on both the fibre reinforcement and polymer matrix. E-glass laminates have higher resistance to blast-induced delamination cracking and tow rupture than carbon fibre composites. Furthermore, glass or carbon fibre laminates with a vinyl ester matrix have superior blast damage resistance compared to composites with a polyester matrix. The higher damage resistance is attributed to the higher flexural strain energy capacity and interlaminar fracture toughness properties of laminates containing glass fibres or vinyl ester matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perforation failure of fibre metal laminate (FML) panels subjected to the localized high intensity blast loading is studied. The FMLs are based on various stacking configurations of aluminium alloy sheets and layers of woven glass fibre in a polypropylene matrix (GFPP) composite. Finite element models of the FMLs were created using the commercial software package Abaqus/Explicit, where the constitutive relationships and damage in the composite material were described through a user-defined subroutine. The composite was modelled as an orthotropically elastic material prior to damage initiation and the growth of subsequent damage was based on an instant failure rate-dependent model. The simulated deformation and failure modes in the FMLs were found to be in good agreement with published experimental data. For FMLs based on thin GFPP layers, a number of dynamic failure scenarios were captured, such as petalling, large tensile tearing and multiple debonding between the aluminium and GFPP layers. A high degree of correlation between simulated failure on the back face aluminium and the underlying GFPP damage modes was revealed. Finally, the transient behaviour of FML panels during blast loading was studied and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]