Characterization of strain-softening behavior and failure mechanisms of composites under tension and compression

A methodology is presented to directly measure the damage properties and strain softening response of laminated composites by conducting over-height compact tension (OCT) and compact compression (CC) tests. Through the use of digital image correlation (DIC) technique, and analysis of the measured surface displacement/strain data, the strain-softening response of composites is constructed. This method leads to a direct determination of the Mode I...