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A multiscale approach is used to predict transverse tensile and transverse compressive strength of unidirectional non-crimp fabric (NCF) composites. Numerical analysis on fibre/matrix scale is performed to obtain the transverse strength of the fibre bundle to be further used in an analytical mesoscale model to predict the strength of the unidirectional NCF composite. Design of unidirectional layer composites with the same fibres, interface, matrix and volume fractions as in the bundle is suggested as an alternative method for bundle strength determination. Good agreement of both methods for bundle transverse strength determination is demonstrated. The simple analytical model used on mesoscale gives accurate predictions of the tensile transverse strength whereas the compressive strength is underestimated. The necessity of including bundle waviness in models when bidirectional NCF composites are analysed is demonstrated by FEM stress analysis and by experimental data showing differences in transverse cracking pattern due to bundle waviness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of 0°-tow out-of-plane waviness on the biaxial non-crimp-fabric (NCF) composite axial stiffness is investigated. Homogenizing, the bundle mesostructure of the NCF composite is replaced by layers. Then the composite is represented by a laminate with flat layers with effective stiffness properties representing the curved 0°-layer and the 90°-layer with varying thickness. It is shown that the NCF composite knock-down factor characterizing the stiffness degradation has almost the same dependence on wave parameters as the knock-down factor for the curved 0°-layer. Numerical analysis showed that 90°-layer knock-down factor versus amplitude curves for different wavelength can be reduced to one master curve which can be described by a one-parameter expression with the parameter dependent on the used material. This observation is used to obtain high accuracy for analytical predictions for knock-down factors for cases with different wavelength and amplitudes based on two FE calculations only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a novel numerical methodology to model the degradation and failure of composite materials like GFRP submitted to monotonic and high cycle fatigue loads. This is done by using the Serial–Parallel Rule of Mixtures homogenisation technique together with a proper mechanical characterisation of the constituent materials of the composite. This paper also proposes an efficient way of estimating the fatigue properties of each of the material constituents (fibre or matrix) to comply with the experimental results obtained at composite level; this enables to estimate the fatigue strength of any stacking/orientation of fibres with only one mechanical characterisation of the material properties. A comparison of the results obtained analytically and experimentally for GFRP is presented. The results show the applicability and accuracy of the proposed methodology in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the micromechanically motivated, quasistatic to dynamic, failure response of fibre reinforced unidirectional composites at finite deformation. The model draws from computational homogenization, with a subscale represented by matrix and fibre constituents. Undamaged matrix response assumes isotropic viscoelasticity–viscoplasticity, whereas the fibre is transversely isotropic hyperelastic. Major novelties involve damage degradation of the matrix response, due to shear in compression based on a rate dependent damage evolution model, and the large deformation homogenization approach. The homogenized quasi-brittle damage induced failure is described by elastically stored isochoric energy and plastic work of the undamaged polymer, driving the evolution of damage. The developed model is implemented in ABAQUS/Explicit. Finite element validation is carried out for a set of off-axis experimental compression tests in the literature. Considering the unidirectional carbon–epoxy (IM7/8552) composite at different strain rates, it appears that the homogenized damage degraded response can represent the expected ductile failure of the composite at compressive loading with different off-axes. Favourable comparisons are made for the strain and fibre rotation distribution involving localized shear and fibre kinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A micromechanically based model for strain rate effects in UD composites is devised. • The model homogenizes the polymer matrix and fibre materials at the subscale. • The homogenized model compares favourably to experimental data for CFRP composites. • The strain rate dependent polymer matrix is isotropically viscoelastic-viscoplastic. This article addresses dynamic behaviour of fibre reinforced polymer composites in terms of a transversely isotropic viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive model established at the unidirectional ply level. The model captures the prelocalized response of the ply in terms of rate dependent elasticity and strength without damage. A major novelty is that the model draws from computational homogenization, with matrix and fibre materials as subscale constituents for a representative volume element of the ply. The micromechanics of the strain rate dependent polymer matrix is represented by an isotropic pressure sensitive viscoelastic-viscoplastic prototype model. For the fibre material, transverse elasticity is assumed. The constituents are homogenized via the fluctuating strain of the subscale, where a simple ansatz is applied to allow for constant stress in the plane transverse to the fibre orientation. Despite the relatively simple modelling assumptions for the constituents, the homogenized model compares favourably to experimental data for an epoxy/carbon fibre based composite, subjected to a variety of challenging uniaxial off-axis tests. The model response clearly reflects observed strain rate dependencies under both tensile and compressive loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]