Analysis of the free-edge effect in composite laminates by the boundary finite element method

Because of the risk of delamination due to high interlaminar stresses in the vicinity of free edges of composite laminates, there is a strong interest in efficient methods for the analysis of this free-edge effect. By the example of a symmetric [0°/90°]_s cross-ply laminate, the Boundary Finite Element Method is presented as a very efficient numerical method, which combines the advantages of the finite element method and the boundary element method. Analogously to the boundary element method, only the boundary is discretized, while the element formulation is finite element based. The resultant stress field is shown to be in very good agreement qualitatively and quantitatively with the comparative finite element analysis. Submitted to the 11th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, June 11–15, 2000). Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 355–366, March–April, 2000.