Author(s)

Damoon Motamedi, Abbas S. Milani

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School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, Canada..

This article presents a three-dimensional extended finite element (XFEM) approach for numerical simulation of delamination in unidirectional composites under fracture mode I. A cohesive zone model in front of the crack tip is used to include interface material nonlinearities. To avoid instability during simulations, a critical cohesive zone length is defined such that user-defined XFEM elements are only activated along the crack tip inside this zone. To demonstrate the accuracy of the new approach, XFEM results are compared to a set of benchmark experimental data from the literature as well as conventional FEM, mesh free, and interface element approaches. To evaluate the effect of modeling parameters, a set of sensitivity analyses have also been performed on the penalty stiffness factor, critical cohesive zone length, and mesh size. It has been discussed how the same model can be used for other fracture modes when both opening and contact mechanisms are active.

Composite Materials; Fracture Properties; Double Cantilever Beam; Extended Finite Element; Cohesive Zone Model

D. Motamedi and A. Milani, "3D Nonlinear XFEM Simulation of Delamination in Unidirectional Composite Laminates: A Sensitivity Analysis of Modeling Parameters," Open Journal of Composite Materials, Vol. 3 No. 4, 2013, pp. 113-126. doi: 10.4236/ojcm.2013.34012.