Paper number 341

INVESTIGATION OF THE FAILURE MECHANISMS FOR DELAMINATION GROWTH FROM EMBEDDED DEFECTS

E. Greenhalgh and S. Singh

Mechanical Sciences Sector, DERA, Farnborough, GU14 0LX, UK.

Summary

Delamination growth from single-plane embedded defects has been investigated in laminated composite plates under compressive loading. The damage mechanisms were only weakly affected by the size and shape of an implanted defect, but very significantly affected by its location through the stacking sequence. In general, delamination growth did not occur at a single plane but rather on several planes. The most critical ply interfaces for delamination growth were those where the ply nearer the free surface had fibres oriented transverse to the principal compressive loading direction. The results are relevant for assessing the severity of damage in-service and in damage-tolerant structural design.

Keywords

delamination, failure mechanisms, compression, embedded defects, stacking sequence, fractography, Moiré interferometry.