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Woven polymer-based composites exhibit highly non-linear behavior, which often results in very high strains to failure. A micromechanical model is developed to represent the large deformation kinematics of woven composites, and develop predictions for failure strain components in specific cases of multiaxial loading. Failure functions are proposed for macromechanical analyses of arbitrary cases of large deformation loading. The approach is validated against basic tension experiments performed using both digital image correlation and with specially designed instrumentation for large strain measurement. Predicted failure strains correspond well with experimental observations. The proposed failure functions are well suited for finite element applications involving user-defined material models.

The behavior of a woven E-glass–Vinylester composite in dry and seawater-saturated conditions was investigated for strain rates in the range of 0.001–100 s−1. Reliable data were obtained by conducting servo-hydraulic tests at high speed with DIC strain measurement. Issues related to inertial effects of the test system and controlling vibrational stress waves were resolved through a unique experimental setup and special attention to specimen geometry and fixturing. In addition, a rate-dependent constitutive model was adapted to characterize the elastic–viscoplastic response at various strain rates and validated by comparison to test data. The subject investigation demonstrates a viable methodology to identify strain rate sensitivities in high speed experiments and develop a representative material model for analysis of high rate phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]