Failure analysis of laminated plates using finite element method

Abstract

In the present investigation, laminated composite plates subjected to a concentrated load are studied in order to determine their failure behavior and also the first ply failure (FPF) load. To achieve this goal, ‘Tsai-Wu’ failure criteria is implemented in a finite element code in order to predict the FPF load and the damage location. Based up on the classical laminate theory, a four-node rectangular finite element with 6 degrees of freedom at each node is formulated and used for this investigation. The numerical results obtained using the present element compare favorably with those given by the analytic approach. It is observed that the numerical results are very close to the analytical results, which demonstrates the accuracy of the present element. Finally, several parameters, such as fiber orientations, stacking sequences and boundary conditions are considered, in order to determine and understand their effects on the strength of these laminated plates.