failure in woven carbon composites The continuum damage mechanics model assumed a linear elastic orthotropic response up to the

point of damage initiation. The Hashin conditions are satisfied for damage to initiate. The initial elastic constants of the undamaged material were the elastic moduli E1, E2 and E3, shear moduli G12,G23 and G31 and the Poissons coefficients 12,23 and 31, where 1,2 and 3 denote the local axis of the material in the in-plane fill, warp and out-of plane directions. The constitutive relation for undamaged composite ply is

Where ij is the undamaged stress component with respect to the material principal axis and compliance matrix C0 is

For failure to initiate we have the following yield surfaces for: (a) Fibre tensile/ shear failure modes