A Physics-Based Fatigue Life Prediction for Composite Delamination Subject to Mode I Loading

Abstract

Use of composite materials is wide reaching in numerous industries. Recent efforts in predicting composite fatigue life have shifted focus to utilizing physic-based methodologies. The developments in this field have reached as far as commercial implementation as a design tool. These efforts have been focused on fatigue within lamina and have not included the failure mode between the plies, known as delamination. In this paper, present the preliminary efforts in combining a proven delamination model with a prominent physics-based fatigue methodology. The framework for this approach is to use the bilinear traction-separation cohesive zone model and apply the kinetic theory of fracture (KTF) to predict fatigue life of the matrix layer separating composite plies. The present work is limited to mode-I delamination which is modeled with the double cantilever beam (DCB) experiment.