Predicting Failure of

Multiangle Composite
Laminates

Preliminary discussion (not in

textbook):

Micromechanics failure
analyses

vs

Macromechanics failure
analyses
 Fiber Architecture of Some
Common Composite Forms

Hayes, B.S., and Gammon, L.M., Optical Microscopy of Fiber-Reinforced Composites (2010)
 Fiber Architecture of Some
Common Composite Forms

Hayes, B.S., and Gammon, L.M., Optical Microscopy of Fiber-Reinforced Composites (2010)
 Fiber Architecture of Some
Common Composite Forms

Shifman, T.J., “Compression Molding Flow Effects on Material

Properties for a Discontinuous Chopped Fiber Composite”, UW MSME
thesis (2011)
 “Unit Cells” Used in
Micromechanic FEM Analyses

Hyer, M.W., Stress-Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials, McGraw-Hill (1998)

 “Unit Cells” Used in
Micromechanic FEM Analyses

Hyer, M.W., Stress-Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials, McGraw-Hill (1998)

 “Unit Cells” Used in
Micromechanic FEM Analyses

Hyer, M.W., Stress-Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials, McGraw-Hill (1998)

• Micromechanics failure analyses:
• Are defined at a physical scale corresponding to the
fiber diameter
• Help identify and explain the stress-strain-
environmental conditions that initiate cracks that
(ultimately) lead to failure
• Guide the development of new/improved composite
materials
• Are too computationally intensive to be useful during
engineering design of a composite structure
•Macromechanics failure analyses:
• Are based on a “smearing assumption” …a ply is
treated as a homogeneous anisotropic material
• Are based on failure properties measured at a physical
scale corresponding to the ply thickness:

σ 11fT , σ 11fC , σ 22
fT
, σ 22
fT
, τ 12
f

ε11fT , ε11fC , ε 22
fT
, ε 22
fT
, γ 12
f

• Are typically used during engineering design…but

cannot capture the details of crack initiation at the
micro level
Figure 7.1: Idealized stress-strain plot for a [0/45/90/-45]2
laminate, showing evolution of internal damage
Damage Evolution During Uniaxial
Tension-Tension Fatigue Loading

Reifsnider et al (VA Tech, ~1985)

Fatigue Loading:
σ max = 0.62σ ult 
 R = 0.1
σ min = 0.062σ ult 
σ avg = 0.34σ ult
N = 70,000 cycles
Figure 7.1: Idealized stress-strain plot for a [0/45/90/-45]2
laminate, showing evolution of internal damage
(Figure 7.2: Summary of First-ply
ply Failure Calculations)
 Example Problem 7.1
• [0/30/60]s graphite-epoxy laminate
• Properties from Table 3.1
• Cured at 175ºC, cooled to 20ºC
(∆T = -155ºC)
• Uniaxial tensile load Nxx applied
• Predict first-ply failure load, based on
Max Stress failure criterion

As per Figure 7.2, for each ply:

• Calculate stresses (σ11, σ22, τ12) caused by
∆T only
•Calculate stresses (σ11, σ22, τ12) caused by
unit load (Nxx = 1 N/m) only
Stresses in 0º ply:
σ11 = ( 2750) N xx − 55.54 x106
σ 22 = (51.93) N xx + 28.36 x106
τ12 = ( −174.8) Nxx + 22.83x106
Stresses in 30º ply:
σ11 = (1112) N xx + 29.59 x106
σ 22 = (120.6) N xx + 24.79 x106
τ12 = ( −264.6) Nxx + 0

Stresses in 60º ply:

σ11 = ( −209.8) N xx − 55.54 x106
σ 22 = (176.0) N xx + 28.36 x106
τ12 = ( −89.85) Nxx − 22.83x106
• Maximum stress failure criterion:
− 1 * σ 11fC < σ 11 < σ 11fT

− 1 * σ 22
fC
< σ 22 < σ 22
fT

τ 12 < τ 12
f

• For 0º ply:
fT
σ11 = ( 2750) N xx − 55.54 x106 < σ11
fT
σ11 + 55.54 x106
N xx fT =
2750
1500 x106 + 55.54 x106
N xx fT =
2750
N xx fT = 565,727 N / m
• Maximum stress failure criterion:
− 1 * σ 11fC < σ 11 < σ 11fT

− 1 * σ 22
fC
< σ 22 < σ 22
fT

τ 12 < τ 12
f

• For 0º ply:
fT
σ 22 = (51.93) N xx + 28.36 x106 < σ 22
fT
σ 22 − 28.36 x106
N xx fT =
51.93
50 x106 − 28.36 x106
N xx fT =
51.93
N xx fT = 416.715 N / m
• Maximum stress failure criterion:
− 1 * σ 11fC < σ 11 < σ 11fT

− 1 * σ 22
fC
< σ 22 < σ 22
fT

τ 12 < τ 12
f

• For 0º ply:
f
τ12 = ( −174.8) N xx + 22.83x106 < τ12
f
τ12 − 22.83 x106
N xx fT =
− 174.8
± 75 x106 − 28.36 x106
N xx fT =
− 174.8
N xx fT = ( −266,819 N / m), (591,304 N / m )
• Maximum stress failure criterion:
− 1 * σ 11fC < σ 11 < σ 11fT

− 1 * σ 22
fC
< σ 22 < σ 22
fT

τ 12 < τ 12
f

• For tensile Nxx, 0º ply will fail if:

N xx fT = 416.7 kN / m, 565.7 kN/m, 591.3kN / m
(select) :
N xx fT = 416.7 kN / m
• Repeating this process for the 30º
and 60º plies completes Table 7.1:

.…first ply failure is predicted to occur

in the 60º plies at Nxx = 123 kN/m….
 Comparable approach can be
used with Tsai-Hill or Tsai-Wu
Criterion:

• Tsai-Hill failure criterion

(σ 11 )2 (σ 22 )2 (τ 12 )2 σ 11σ 22
+ + − < 1
( )fT 2
σ 11 ( )fT 2
σ 22 ( )f 2
τ 12 ( )fT 2
σ 11

•Tsai-Wu failure criterion

X 1σ 11 + X 2 σ 22 + X 11 σ 11
2
+ X 22 σ 22
2

+ X 66 τ 12
2
+ 2 X 12 σ 11 σ 22 < 1

• As before, for 0º plies: Substitute the

σ11 = ( 2750) N xx − 55.54 x106 0º ply stresses
into selected
σ 22 = (51.93) N xx + 28.36 x106 FC and solve
τ12 = ( −174.8) Nxx + 22.83x106 for N xx fT
 Example Problem 7.1
Reconsidered
• [0/30/60]s graphite-epoxy laminate
• Properties from Table 3.1
• Cured at 175ºC, cooled to 20ºC
(∆T = -155ºC)
• Uniaxial tensile load Nxx applied
• Predict first-ply failure load, based on:
- Max Stress failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion
 Example Problem 7.1
Reconsidered
• [0/30/60]s graphite-epoxy laminate
• Properties from Table 3.1
• Cured at 175ºC, cooled to 20ºC
(∆T = -155ºC)
• Uniaxial tensile load Nxx applied
• Predict first-ply failure load, based on:
- Max Stress failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion

•Results:
Max Stress: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 123 kN/m
 Example Problem 7.1
Reconsidered
• [0/30/60]s graphite-epoxy laminate
• Properties from Table 3.1
• Cured at 175ºC, cooled to 20ºC
(∆T = -155ºC)
• Uniaxial tensile load Nxx applied
• Predict first-ply failure load, based on:
- Max Stress failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion

•Results:
Max Stress: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 123 kN/m
Tsai-Hill: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 103 kN/m
 Example Problem 7.1
Reconsidered
• [0/30/60]s graphite-epoxy laminate
• Properties from Table 3.1
• Cured at 175ºC, cooled to 20ºC
(∆T = -155ºC)
• Uniaxial tensile load Nxx applied
• Predict first-ply failure load, based on:
- Max Stress failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion
- Tsai-Hill failure criterion

•Results:
Max Stress: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 123 kN/m
Tsai-Hill: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 103 kN/m
Tsai-Wu: 60º ply fails at Nxx = 89.9 kN/m
Program LAMFAIL
• Performs first-ply failure analyses
• User selects one of three failure
criterion:
•Maximum Stress
•Tsai-Hill
•Tsai-Wu
• Can predict:
• Failure for specified combination of
unit stress or moment resultants, ∆T,
and ∆M (as in Example Prob 7.1)

****or****
• Generate data points that can
subsequently be used to create a first-
ply “failure envelope” (sec 7.4)
 Failure envelopes are analogous to yield
(or fracture) surfaces for plane stress,
typically discussed for isotropic
materials:

(taken from Dowling, N.E., “Mechanical Behavior of Materials”, Prentice Hall, 1998)

Note: Yielding or fracture of isotropic

materials governed by principal stresses
…not true for anisotropic composites
LAMFAIL can be used to create first-
ply failure envelope based on any two
of the six resultants:
LAMFAIL can be used to create first-
ply failure envelope based on any two
of the six resultants:
LAMFAIL can be used to create first-
ply failure envelope based on any two
of the six resultants:
Figure 7.1: Idealized stress-strain plot for a [0/45/90/-45]2
laminate, showing evolution of internal damage
• Last-ply failure predictions can be
made using the “ply discount scheme”
…a rudimentary method of predicting
damage accumulation
• Summarized in Figure 7.3:
• Specify problem (including loads and failure
criterion)
• Use CLT and selected failure criterion to
determine first ply failure load
• “Discount” stiffnesses of failed ply(ies)
• Use CLT and reduced material properties to
determine next ply(ies) to fail...reduce
properties of newly-failed plies
• Repeat until all plies are predicted to have failed,
at which point the “Last-Ply Failure Load” has
been predicted
(Figure 7.3: Summary of Last-ply
ply Failure Calculations)
• Program PROGDAM (“progressive
damage”) can be used to calculate
first and last ply failure loads for an
individual monotonically-increasing
stress or moment resultant (i.e., for
Nxx, Nyy, Nxy, Mxx, Myy, or Mxy)
• Example Problem 7.3: Illustrates
last-ply failure analysis for a
[0/30/60]s Gr/Ep laminate subjected
to uniaxial tensile stress
σ xx = N xx / t
assuming: E11failed = E11
ν 12failed = ν 12
failed
E22 = 0.30 E22

G12failed = 0.30G12
Figure 7.4: Predicted stress-strain curve for a [0/30/60]s
graphite-epoxy laminate, based on the ply-discount scheme
• Second example: last-ply failure
analysis for a [0/45/90/-45]s Gr/Ep
laminate subjected to Mxx (“pure
bending”), now assuming:
E11failed = 0.90 E11

ν 12failed = 0.90ν 12
failed
E22 = 0.30 E22

G12failed = 0.30G12
 350 Ply 3 (90º) and Ply 4 (-45º)
fail simultaneously
Moment Resultant Mxx (N-m/m)

300
Ply 5 fails
250 (-45º)
Ply 8 fails
200 (0º)

Ply 7 fails
150 (45º) Ply 2 fails
(45º)
100
Ply 1 fails
(0º)
50
Ply 6 fails
(90º)
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Midplane Curvature κxx (rad/m)
 Advanced Damage
Progression Models
• Program PROGDAM is a first-
generation approach to predicting
damage progression
• Current R&D efforts involve the use
of advanced finite-element
analyses, often with a stochastic
(probabilistic) aspect
• Computationally expensive….
 Advanced Damage
Progression Models
Typical example: Short course
offered by University of Delaware
(http://www.ccm.udel.edu/software/
mat162/mat162_workshop/):
Progressive Composite Damage Modeling
in LS-DYNA (MAT162 & Others)
Progressive damage modeling of composites under low velocity
impact, and high velocity impact is of interest to many
applications including car crash, impact on pressure vessels,
perforation and penetration of thin and thick section composites.
This course will provide a comparison between available composite
models in LS-DYNA for shell and solid elements, e.g., MAT2,
MAT54, MAT59, & MAT162. Among these material models, rate
dependent progressive composite damage model MAT162 is
considered as the state of the art. This short course will include the
theory and practice of MAT162 composite damage model with
applications to low and intermediate impact velocities,
understanding the LS-DYNA programming parameters related to
impact-contact, damage evolution, perforation and penetration of
thin- and thick-section composites. Printed copies of all lecture
notes will be provided along with a CD containing all example LS-
DYNA keyword input decks used in this short course.