Damage accumulation and redistribution of stresses in fiber reinforced material

During the analysis of fracture processes of composite materials we deal with the interaction of different factors that have a very particular character. There exist a substantial variation between the breaking resistance of the fibers, the resistance of the matrix and the adhesion resistance of the matrix, as well as the arrangement of the reinforcement which is erratic and random. The unpredictable interaction between these factors during the fracture of the compound is not fully described by using probabilistic methods. The development of computational methods opens an enormous amount of possibilities to simulate the influence of these factors during the fracture process of the composite. The use of computational methods is complex because the algorithms must synthesize both physical and mechanical problems of materials considering at the same time the real structure of the materials. Because of that, the use of fundamental criteria is suitable in order to create the simulation of the delamination processes in cracked fibers and the development of cracks in the matrix.