MATRIX CRACKING AND DELAMINATION IN LAMINATED COMPOSITE BEAMS SUBJECTED TO A TRANSVERSE CONCENTRATED LINE LOAD

An investigation was performed to study the damage mechanism and mechanics of flat and cylindrical laminated composite beams subjected to transverse concentrated loading. The major focus of the study was to fundamentally understand the interaction between matrix cracking and delamination propagation in composite structures resulting from transverse loadings. An analytical model was developed which consists of a stress analysis for calculating stresses and strains in the composites, a contact analysis for handling the interface condition of cracked surfaces during loading, and a failure analysis for predicting matrix cracking and delamination growth. Experiments were also performed to verify the model and the numerical calculations. Overall, the results of the calculations based on the analysis compared favorably with the existing data and the data generated during the investigation.