A coupled interface-multilayer approach for mixed mode delamination and contact analysis in laminated composites

An accurate laminate model developed by using multilayer shear deformable plate modeling and interface elements, based on fracture mechanics and contact mechanics, is proposed to analyze mixed mode delamination in composite laminates. Perfect adhesion along the undelaminated portion of the delamination plane is simulated by treating interface stiffnesses as penalty parameters, whereas to enforce interface displacement continuity between plate elements constituting each sub-laminate above or below the delamination plane, the Lagrange multiplier method is used. The governing differential equations are derived through a variational procedure by using a modified total potential energy functional. Results are obtained by numerical integration of the non-linear three-point boundary value problem modeling mixed-mode delamination of the laminate plate subjected to end loading, which accounts also for the frictionless contact condition.The coupling of a penalty procedure with the Lagrange multiplier method, results in an accurate and direct energy release rate evaluation. Comparisons with results available from the literature obtained with a local continuum approach, show that mode partition may be performed to the desired accuracy by refining multilayer plate models for each sub-laminate. In addition, original analytical formulas for mode partition are obtained by coupling the interface approach and fracture mechanics concepts, evidencing the effectiveness of the proposed approach and gaining a better insight into the influence of shear effects on mode decomposition. Numerical computations for practical problems, evidence both the relative simplicity and the efficiency of the proposed model to represent mixed mode interlaminar fracturing as well as crack–face interaction.     

Buckling analysis of two layer delaminated beams with bridging

Stitching has been used as through-thickness reinforcement to reduce the effects of delamination. In stitching, the delamination will be held by stitches in the form of crack/interface bridging. In the present work, the reinforcement of stitching threads is assumed to provide continuous linear restoring tractions opposing the delamination opening. A generalized mathematical model is developed to study the buckling analysis of two layer delaminated beams with bridging by using Rayleigh–Ritz energy method. The delaminated beam is analyzed as four interconnected beams using the delamination as their boundary. Lagrange multipliers are used to enforce the boundary and continuity conditions between the junctions of the interconnected beams. The developed mathematical model is solved as an eigenvalue problem in which the lowest eigenvalue gives the buckling load. Effective-bridging modulus, a new nondimensionalized parameter, is introduced to study the influence of bridging on the delamination buckling. It is shown that bridging strongly influences the buckling load of the delaminated beams and a monotonic relation is observed between the buckling load and the effective-bridging modulus. Parametric studies in terms of delamination sizes and locations along spanwise and thicknesswise positions on the buckling load have been carried out. The bridging is found to be effective for shallow delaminations of moderate length, and for deep and long delaminations. Spanwise positions of delamination strongly influence the buckling loads. In addition, an analytical model for obtaining upper bounds of the buckling load is developed by using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. Effective-slenderness ratio, a new nondimensionalized parameter is defined and it is found to be controlling the buckling mode configurations, i.e., local, global and mixed modes.     

On the cyclic bending behaviour of a hard coating on a ductile substrate with periodic surface hardened regions

A cyclic bending experiment is designed to investigate the interface fracture behaviour of a hard chromium coating on a ductile substrate with periodic surface hardened regions. The unique deflection pattern of the vertical cracks after they run through the coating and impinge at the interface is revealed experimentally. A simple double-layer elastic beam model is adopted to investigate the interfacial shear stresses analytically. A FE model is employed to compute the stresses of the tri-phase structure under a single round of bending, and to investigate the effect of the loading conditions on the deflection pattern of the vertical cracks at the interface.     

A novel model of delamination bridging via Z-pins in composite laminates

A new micro-mechanical model is proposed for describing the bridging actions exerted by through-thickness reinforcement on delaminations in prepreg based composite materials, subjected to a mixed-mode (I–II) loading regime. The model applies to micro-fasteners in the form of brittle fibrous rods (Z-pins) inserted in the through-thickness direction of composite laminates. These are described as Euler–Bernoulli beams inserted in an elastic foundation that represents the embedding composite laminate. Equilibrium equations that relate the delamination opening/sliding displacements to the bridging forces exerted by the Z-pins on the interlaminar crack edges are derived. The Z-pin failure meso-mechanics is explained in terms of the laminate architecture and the delamination mode. The apparent fracture toughness of Z-pinned laminates is obtained from as energy dissipated by the pull out of the through-thickness reinforcement, normalised with respect to a reference area. The model is validated by means of experimental data obtained for single carbon/BMI Z-pins inserted in a quasi-isotropic laminate.     

Precracking and interfacial delamination in a bi-material structure: Static and dynamic loadings

The behavior of a precracked bi-material structure interface under given static and dynamic axial loading is an interest object in the present paper.Firstly,it is shown that the shear-lag model is a proper tool to analyze a delamination process in a precracked bi-material structure undergoing static loading.Secondly,the"shear-lag model"is applied to the structure under dynamic loading.To solve the problem for an interface delamination of the structure and to determine the debond length along the interface,our own 2D boundary element method(BEM)code is proposed in the case of static loading,and the shear-lag model together with the Laplace transforms and half-analytical calculations are used in the case of dynamic loading.The interface layer is assumed as a very thin plate compared with the other two.The parametric(geometric and elastic)analysis of the debond length and interface shear stress is done. The results from the 2D BEM code proved the validity of analytical solutions to the shear-lag model.In the dynamic case,the influence of loading characteristics,i.e.,frequencies and amplitude fluctuations on the shear stress and the value of debond length for an interval of time,is discussed. The analysis of the obtained results is illustrated by an example of the modern ceramic-metal composite,namely cermet, and depicted in figures.     

Modelling of progressive interface failure under combined normal compression and shear stress

The present work is concerned with an analysis of progressive interface failure under normal compressive stress and varying shear stress using the cohesive crack model. The softening model is assumed and frictional linear stress at contact is accounted for. A monotonic loading in anti-plane shear of an elastic plate bonded to a rigid substrate is considered. An analytical solution is obtained by neglecting the effect of minor shear stress component in the plate. The elastic and plate interface compliances are included into the analysis. Three types of solutions are distinguished in the progressive delamination analysis, namely short, medium and long plate solutions. The analysis of quasi-static progressive delamination process clarifies the character of critical points and post-critical response of the plate. The analytical solution provides a reference benchmark for numerical algorithms of analysis of progressive interface delamination. The case of a rigid–softening interface was treated in a companion paper, where also cyclic loading was considered.     

Modelling of stresses and strains in bonded concrete overlays subjected to differential volume changes

The differential volume changes between repair material and substrate concrete induces stresses in concrete overlays. These stresses could cause the repair material cracking or the interface delamination, which facilitate the penetration of harmful substances into concrete and hence accelerate the deterioration of concrete overlays. In order to investigate the characteristics of these stresses, an analytical model has been developed based on the plate theory and the assumption of the linear relation between shear stress and slip at the interface. This model is able to calculate the tensile stress in the repair material, shear and normal stresses at the interface and the corresponding strains. With this model, the influence of the interface shear stiffness, the dimension of the concrete overlay, and the elastic moduli of two materials on stresses and strains was studied.     

A thermomechanical cohesive zone model for bridged delamination cracks

The coupled thermomechanical numerical analysis of composite laminates with bridged delamination cracks loaded by a temperature gradient is described. The numerical approach presented is based on the framework of a cohesive zone model. A traction-separation law is presented which accounts for breakdown of the micromechanisms responsible for load transfer across bridged delamination cracks. The load transfer behavior is coupled to heat conduction across the bridged delamination crack. The coupled crack-bridging model is implemented into a finite element framework as a thermomechanical cohesive zone model (CZM). The fundamental response of the thermomechanical CZM is described. Subsequently, bridged delamination cracks of fixed lengths are studied. Values of the crack tip energy release rate and of the crack heat flux are computed to characterize the loading of the structure. Specimen geometries are considered that lead to crack opening through bending deformation and buckling delamination. The influence of critical mechanical and thermal parameters of the bridging zone on the thermomechanical delamination behavior is discussed. Bridging fibers not only contribute to crack conductance, but by keeping the crack opening small they allow heat flux across the delamination crack to be sustained longer, and thereby contribute to reduced levels of thermal stresses. The micro-mechanism based cohesive zone model allows the assessment of the effectiveness of the individual mechanisms contributing to the thermomechanical crack bridging embedded into the structural analysis.     

A new discontinuous FE formulation for crack path prediction in brittle solids

In this paper a new finite element (FE) formulation to simulate embedded strong discontinuity for the study of the fracture process in brittle or quasi-brittle solids is presented. A homogeneous discontinuity is considered to be present in a cracked finite element with the possibility to take into account the opening and the sliding phenomena which can occur across the crack faces. In such a context a new simple stress-based implementation of the discontinuous displacement field is proposed by an appropriate stress field correction introduced at the Gauss points level in order to simulate, in a fashion typical of an elastic–plastic classical FE formulation, the mechanical effects of the bridging and friction stresses due to crack faces opening and sliding which can occur during the loading–unloading process structural component or solid being analysed. The proposed formulation does not need to introduce special or modified shape functions to reproduce discontinuous displacement field but simply relaxes the stress field in an appropriate fashion. Both linear elastic and elastic–plastic behaviour of the non-cracked material can be considered. Several 2D problems are presented and solved by the proposed procedure in order to predict load–displacement curves of brittle structures as well as crack patterns that develop during the loading process.The proposed discontinuous new FE formulation gives the advantages to be simple, computationally economic and to keep internal continuity of the numerical FE model; furthermore the developed algorithm can be easily implemented in standard FE programs as a standard plasticity model.     

Elastic-viscoplastic field at mixed-mode interface crack-tip under compression and shear

For a compression-shear mixed mode interface crack, it is difficult to solve the stress and strain fields considering the material viscosity, the crack-tip singularity, the frictional effect, and the mixed loading level. In this paper, a mechanical model of the dynamic propagation interface crack for the compression-shear mixed mode is proposed using an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive model. The governing equations of propagation crack interface at the crack-tip are given. The numerical analysis is performed for the interface crack of the compression-shear mixed mode by introducing a displacement function and some boundary conditions. The distributed regularities of stress field of the interface crack-tip are discussed with several special parameters. The final results show that the viscosity effect and the frictional contact effect on the crack surface and the mixed-load parameter are important factors in studying the mixed mode interface crack- tip fields. These fields are controlled by the viscosity coefficient, the Mach number, and the singularity exponent.     

Thermally induced wrinkling in orthotropic layered plates with irregular delaminations

Delaminated regions figure prominently among potential threats to the structural integrity of layered plate configurations. Under a certain thermal loading threshold, geometrically nonlinear local instabilities in the form of buckling or wrinkling across the delaminated region crop up, giving rise to markedly amplified distributions of contour peeling stresses. The present paper aims to shed light on and quantify the manifold aspects and implications of the delamination-thermal-wrinkling trio. The paper faces the challenges of handling the nature of the layered configuration, the inherent geometrical irregularity of delaminated regions, the discontinuous interfacial conditions, the 3D stress state along the delamination contour, and the nonlinear evolution of local instabilities across an orthotropic delamination. For that purpose, a specially tailored 2D multi layered plate model and a corresponding triangular finite element are derived. The original contribution of the proposed model is in its ability to capture the thermally-driven, nonlinear small scale phenomena related to geometrically nonlinear response of the layered structure, using a 2D multi-layered plate theory solved with efficient 2D multi-layered triangular finite elements, as opposed to computationally expensive 3D finite element analysis. This is accomplished via the integration and synergy of methodologies that include: multi-layered high order plate theory to account for the layered layout, geometrically nonlinear strain-displacement relations to account for geometrical nonlinearities, orthotropic and thermo-elastic constitutive laws to account for thermal loads, and interlayer interface modelling which, combined with a the shear-locking free triangular FE, allows accounting for arbitrarily shaped delaminations. The model is validated against a 1D closed form solution and a 3D continuum based finite element analysis and is then used for a numerical study. In the study, the onset and the evolution of local instabilities in an adhesively bonded orthotropic layer across an irregular delamination are looked into. Special attention is given to the significant influence of material orthotropy and the relative directionality of the delamination on the threshold thermal load, the nonlinear wrinkling patterns, and the peeling traction distribution.     

Mechanics and fracture of crack tip deformable bi-material interface

Novel interface deformable bi-layer beam theory is developed to account for local effects at crack tip of bi-material interface by modeling a bi-layer composite beam as two separate shear deformable sub-layers with consideration of crack tip deformation. Unlike the sub-layer model in the literature in which the crack tip deformations under the interface peel and shear stresses are ignored and thus a “rigid” joint is used, the present study introduces two interface compliances to account for the effect of interface stresses on the crack tip deformation which is referred to as the elastic foundation effect; thus a flexible condition along the interface is considered. Closed-form solutions of resultant forces, deformations, and interface stresses are obtained for each sub-layer in the bi-layer beam, of which the local effects at the crack tip are demonstrated. In this study, an elastic deformable crack tip model is presented for the first time which can improve the split beam solution. The present model is in excellent agreements with analytical 2-D continuum solutions and finite element analyses. The resulting crack tip rotation is then used to calculate the energy release rate (ERR) and stress intensity factor (SIF) of interface fracture in bi-layer materials. Explicit closed-form solutions for ERR and SIF are obtained for which both the transverse shear and crack tip deformation effects are accounted. Compared to the full continuum elasticity analysis, such as finite element analysis, the present solutions are much explicit, more applicable, while comparable in accuracy. Further, the concept of deformable crack tip model can be applied to other bi-layer beam analyses (e.g., delamination buckling and vibration, etc.).     

多亚层柔性节点模型及其在双材料4ENF试件界面分析中的应用

提出了多亚层柔性节点模型用于分析双材料裂纹尖端的应力和变形。该模型考虑了胶层的变形,各亚层视为独立的剪切变形梁,采用两个界面柔度系数考虑界面应力对各亚层界面变形的影响,界面变形包括双材料界面和胶层的变形。通过对FRP-混凝土末端切口四点弯试件(Four-point bending end-notched flexure specimen,简称4ENF)进行界面分析,并与其他模型和有限元分析对比表明:刚性节点模型忽略了裂纹尖端的应力和变形集中,只能粗略地估计构件的整体变形和界面应力;半刚性节点容许裂纹尖端的转动,对裂纹尖端的变形估计优于刚性节点模型,但精度依然不高;多亚层柔性节点模型反映了裂纹尖端的应力和变形集中,与数值分析结果吻合很好,该研究对进行双材料结构的工程设计具有理论指导和参考价值。     

接触面损伤演化过程的数值模型

结合接触面在细观尺度上的非均匀性及其损伤演化规律,提出了一种可以考虑接触面损伤演化过程的数值模型.数值模拟得到的剪切应力-剪切位移关系表明:随着剪切位移的增加,接触面上产生的损伤单元导致曲线斜率逐渐降低;当接触面被完全剪断后,模型中的剪切应力出现了一定程度的下降,此后的剪应力在摩擦力的作用下基本保持不变.模型所能承受的...     

Interface crack between two shear deformable elastic layers

An improved method based on the first-order shear deformable plate theory is developed to calculate the energy release rate and stress intensity factor for a crack at the interface of a bi-layer structure. By modeling the uncracked region of the structure as two separate Reissner-Mindlin plates bonded perfectly along the interface, this method is able not only to take into account the shear deformation in the cracked region, but also to capture the shear deformation in the uncracked region of the structure. A closed form solution of energy release rate and mode decomposition at the interface crack is obtained for a general loading condition, and it indicates that the energy release rate and stress intensity factor are determined by two independent loading parameters. Compared to the approach based on the classical plate theory, the proposed method provides a more accurate prediction of energy release rate as well as mode decomposition. The computational procedures introduced are relatively straightforward, and the closed form solution can be used to predict crack growth along the layered structures.     

Electro-mechanical pre-fracture zones for an electrically permeable interface crack in a piezoelectric bimaterial

A plane strain problem for two piezoelectric half-spaces adhered by a very thin isotropic interlayer with a crack under the action of remote mixed mode mechanical loading and electrical flux is considered. The crack is situated either at an interface or in the interlayer. It is assumed that the substrates are much stiffer than the intermediate layer. Therefore, pre-fracture zones (plastic or damage) arise at the crack continuations. Normal and shear stresses are assumed to be constant in this zones and to satisfy some material equation, which can be taken from theory or derived experimentally. Modeling the pre-fracture zones by the crack continuations with unknown cohesive stresses on their faces reduces the problem to elastic interface crack analysis leading to a Hilbert problem. This problem is solved exactly. The pre-fracture zone lengths and stresses in these zones are found from algebraical and transcendental equations. The latter are derived from the conditions of stress finiteness at the ends of pre-fracture zones and the material equations. The electrical displacement at any point of the pre-fracture zones is found in closed form as well. Particular cases of symmetrical loading and of equivalent properties of the upper and lower bimaterial components are considered. Numerical results corresponding to certain material combinations and interlayer material equations are presented and analysed. In the suggested model, any singularities connected with the crack are eliminated, i.e., all mechanical and electrical characteristics are limited in the near-crack tip region.     

Stress recovery algorithm for reduced order models of mechanical systems in nonlinear dynamic operative conditions

Nonlinear forced response analyses of mechanical systems in the presence of contact interfaces are usually performed in built-in numerical codes on reduced order models (ROM). Most of the cases these derive from complex finite element (FE) models, resulting from the high accuracy the designers require in modeling and meshing the components in commercial FE software. In the technical literature several numerical methods are proposed for the identification of the nonlinear forced response in terms of a kinematic quantity (i.e. displacement, velocity and acceleration) associated either to the master degrees-of-freedom retained in the ROM, or to the slave ones after having expanded the reduced response through the reduction matrix. In fact, the displacement is the quantity usually adopted to monitor the nonlinear response, and to evaluate the effectiveness of a partially loose friction interface in damping vibrations, with respect to a linear case where no friction interfaces exist and no energy dissipation can take place. However, when a ROM is used the engineering quantities directly involved in the mechanical design, i.e. the strains and stresses, cannot be retrieved without a further data processing. Moreover, in the case of a strong nonlinear behavior of the mechanical joints, the distributions of the nonlinear strains and stresses over the structure is likely different than the one obtained as a superposition of linear mode shapes whose definition require a-priori assumptions on the boundary conditions at the contact interface. This means that the mentioned approximation cannot be used to predict the safety margins of a structure working in real (nonlinear) operative conditions. This paper addresses this topic and presents a novel stress recovery algorithm for the identification of the strains and stresses resulting from a nonlinear forced response analysis on a ROM. The algorithm is applied to a bladed disk with friction contacts at the shroud joint, which make the behavior of the blades nonlinear and non-predictable by means of standard linear analyses in commercial FE software.

     

薄膜涂层材料界面纯剪破坏标准试验法的开发

界面强度是薄膜涂层材料的最重要的性能指标之一，目前尚缺乏有效的测量方法。测量界面强度的主要困难在于寻求一种便于试验的试件形状和加载方式，使得界面上能够产生不同的应力状态，即在不同的剥离应力和剪应力比的状态下发生破坏。本文采用有限元数值分析（ABAQUS），研究了几种具有简单几何形状的试件的界面应力，并基于大量的数值试验，设计了剪应力为破坏支配因素的试件形状和加载方式，并且给出了便于应用的最大界面剪应力的经验估算公式。该经验公式可以适用于各种材料组合和薄膜涂层的厚度。研究结果表明，通过对薄膜涂层材料试件的基体引入缺口以产生应力集中，进行普通的四点弯曲试验，可以进行剪应力占支配地位的界面破坏试验。利用本文提出的试件形状和相应的最大界面剪应力经验公式，可以通过破坏试验简单地得到界面的剪切强度。