Experimental Investigation and Impact Analysis of GFRP Composite Laminates

Fiber reinforced composites have become increasingly important over the past few years and are now the first choice for fabricating structures where low weight in combination with high strength and stiffness are required. Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites are in greatest commercial use. They have been extensively used in aero space, automotive, marine and construction industries due to their inherent advantages over conventional metals. Failure modes of such laminated structures are also different than those of conventional metallic materials. Impact is one such great design lamination criteria involved in designing new composite products. The present work is aimed at gaining and initial understanding of the impact and flexural behavior of fiber glass reinforced laminates. The purpose of this research is to characterize the damage done to fiber glass laminates subjected to low velocity, high mass impact and flexural. Finite element models are created with ANSYS. These models are able to predict approximate stress and strains induced in the laminates during the impact and also flexural test. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.