Strength Prediction in Composites with Stress Concentrations: Classical Weibull and Critical Failure Volume Methods With Micromechanical Considerations (Preprint)

Application of Weibull statistics to tensile strength prediction in laminated composites with open holes is revisited. Quasi-isotropic carbon fiber laminates with two stacking sequences [45/0/-45/90]s and [0/45/90/-45]s with three different hole sizes of 2.54mm, 6.35mm and 12.7mm were considered for analysis and experimental examination. The first laminate showed 20% lower strength for smaller and 10% for the larger hole sizes. A novel Critical Failure Volume (CFV) method with minimum scaling length constraint as well as the traditional Weibull integral method were applied. The strength prediction was based on the state of stress in the 00 ply by taking into account the redistribution of stress due to matrix damage in the form of splitting, delamination and matrix cracking of off axis plies. The measured extent of damage was then included in a 3D stress analysis procedure by using a mesh independent crack modeling method to account for fiber direction stress redistribution. The CFV method gave results within one standard deviation from experimentally observed strength values for both laminates and all three hole sizes. The Weibull integral method underpredicted the strength in all cases from as much as 20-30% for smaller hole sizes to 8% for the large holes. The accuracy of failure predictions using CFV is attributed to the introduction of a minimum scaling length. This length has a physical meaning of the width of a process zone of formation of fiber macro-crack as a result of single fiber break interaction. Submitted to the International Journal of Material Science, Springer Netherlands, publisher.