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Finite Element
Cohesive Material Parameters
Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents....................................................................................................................1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................2
Determining Cohesive Parameters Via Finite Element Analysis.............................................3
What Test Specimens Are Best? ................................................................................3
What Properties Are Needed?...................................................................................4
How Should the Models be Created? ........................................................................4
Determining Cohesive Properties ..............................................................................5
References .................................................................................................................7
Guidelines for Cohesive Element Usage with Helius:MCT .....................................................8
Defining a Helius:MCT Cohesive Material ..............................................................................9
For More Information .............................................................................................9
Summary ...............................................................................................................................10
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
INTRODUCTION
Determining the input properties for cohesive elements used to model delamination
can be one of the most challenging and confusing tasks that a structural analyst faces.
This document describes an easy process that can be used for determining cohesive
input parameters from experimental double cantilever beam (DCB) and end notched
flexure (ENF) experimental data. The process involves 3 easy steps:
Following this description are some specific steps and guidelines for using cohesive
elements with Helius:MCT.
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
Normal mode: Knn = Stiffness (F/L2/L), Sn = Strength (F/L2), Gn = Fracture Energy (FL/L2)
Shear mode: Kss = Stiffness (F/L2/L), Ss = Strength (F/L2), Gs = Fracture Energy (FL/L2)
Shear mode: Ktt = Stiffness (F/L2/L), St = Strength (F/L2), Gt = Fracture Energy (FL/L2)
Since cohesive solutions are mesh dependent, it is important that the meshes for the DCB and ENF
specimens use cohesive elements that are approximately the same size as the cohesive elements
that are anticipated to be used in subsequent progressive failure analyses of composite
structural components.
For all delamination models implemented in Helius:MCT, the prediction of delamination initiation
is based on the tractions (t n , t s , tt ) that occur at the integration points of the cohesive elements.
There are currently two different traction-based delamination initiation criteria implemented in
Helius:MCT Max Stress and Quadratic Stress. However, since DCB and ENF tests are designed to
produce single-mode tractions, it is unnecessary to use a Quad stress criterion and Max Stress is
sufficient. Also, Helius:MCT allows for both a displacement-based and energy-based degradation
laws. Firehole recommends using the energy-based model.
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
Cohesive Stiffness
The cohesive stiffness should be determined before the cohesive strength is determined.
It is important to realize that one cannot determine a definitive value of stiffness for cohesive
layers when used to simulated delamination between plies. The stiffness of the cohesive layer
needs to be stiff enough so that it provides adequate load transfer between the bonded layers, but
if it is too stiff, then spurious stress oscillations can occur as shown in Figure 2. As such, the
following equation should be used to estimate the stiffness of the cohesive layer:
Figure 2. Example of stress oscillation at the crack tip in the cohesive layer of an ENF model.
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
Cohesive Strengths
After setting the stiffness of the cohesive material, we are now ready to use the finite element
models of the DCB and ENF specimens to iteratively determine the strengths of the cohesive
material (Sn, Ss, St). The DCB finite element model is used to calibrate Sn, and the ENF finite
element model is used to calibrate Ss=St.
Initial Strength Estimate - Similar to the estimation of the cohesive stiffnesses, the
transverse strengths of the composite material plies can be used as starting points in the
iterative determination of the cohesive strengths. In particular, the initial estimate of
cohesive strength can be computed as
12 +23
= +33 = =
2
Note: The stress values predicted in the DCB and ENF finite element models are dependent
on both the cohesive mesh density and the stiffness chosen for the cohesive material
(previous step), thus it is likely that these initial strength estimates will need to be adjusted
in order for the DCB and ENF models to match the measured DCB and ENF test results.
Simulate Results - Run the models using the above strength estimates as starting values
and plot the simulated load-displacement results against the experimental measured
results.
Repeat this iterative process until good agreement is obtained for the maximum measured
loads in the DCB and ENF specimens.
Example
As a specific example, consider the results plotted in Figure 3, which show simulated DCB results
for multiple values of Sn. When Sn = 15 N/mm2, the simulated maximum load was low compared to
the experimental maximum load. Increasing Sn to 25 N/mm2 resulted in an over-prediction of the
maximum load. Good agreement with the experimental curve was finally achieved when Sn = 21
N/mm2. The same iterative process can be used in conjunction with the ENF model to establish the
cohesive shear strengths (Ss= St).
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
Cohesive Energies
The values for the cohesive energies (Gn, Gs, Gt) do not need to be calibrated and should be set to
the experimentally determined fracture energies (GIC, GIIC).
Specifically:
Gn = GIC
Gs = Gt = GIIC
References
1. Turon A., Dvila C., Camanho P., and Costa J., An Engineering Solution for using Coarse Meshes
in the Simulation of Delamination With Cohesive Zone Models, NASA/TM-2005-213547, March
2005.
2. Turon A., Dvila C., Camanho P., and Costa J., An Engineering Solution for Mesh Size Effects in
the Simulation of Delamination using Cohesive Zone Models, Engineering Fracture Mechanics,
Vol. 74, Pg. 1665-1682, 2007.
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
The following provides some specific guidelines for using cohesive elements with Helius:MCT:
Ensure that the cohesive element orientation is assigned with the local 3-direction parallel to
the element thickness direction
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
A Helius:MCT cohesive material is defined similar to a composite material using the three
keyword statements *MATERIAL, *DEPVAR, and *USER MATERIAL. Consider the following lines
from an Abaqus input file that completely specify a Helius:MCT user-defined cohesive material.
*MATERIAL, NAME=COHESIVE_MATERIAL
*DEPVAR
9
*USERMATERIAL, CONSTANTS=11
UMC1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
9, 10, 11
Where:
UMC1 = Damage criteria
UMC2 = Normal stiffness
UMC3 = First shear stiffness Note, for any given Helius:MCT
UMC4 = Second shear stiffness cohesive material, the number of
UMC5 = Normal maximum traction user material constants must be
UMC6 = First shear maximum traction between 8 and 11.
UMC7 = Second shear maximum traction
UMC8 = Normal fracture energy
UMC9 = First shear fracture energy
UMC10 = Second shear fracture energy
UMC11 = Mixed mode exponent
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Guidelines for Determining Finite Element Cohesive Material Parameters
SUMMARY
Firehole Composites has assembled these guidelines and best practices to provide useful
solutions for simulating composite delamination with cohesive elements. We are happy to
answer any questions regarding the above recommendations or other composite material
characterization questions. Contact Firehole Composites at info@firehole.com or call us at
307-460-4763.
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