Analytical Energy Release Rate of Interfacial Crack in Composite Laminates

Abstract

In order to study whether the interfacial crack will grow or not in the composite laminates, the energy release rate of a crack in three-point bending model was obtained by using the Timoshenko beam theory and local generalized forces. The results of energy release rate were validated by the finite element results. The results indicate that the energy release rate of left crack tip is equal to that of the right crack tip when the crack before the crack goes cross the loading point; after the crack goes cross the loading point, the energy release rate of the left crack tip increases and then decreases gradually, while the energy release rate of right crack tip decreases first and increases later; the energy release rate of left crack tip is equal to that of the right crack tip again when the crack is symmetric with the loading point.

Keywords

• delamination
• energy release rate
• crack
• beam theory
• composites laminate