A new FE modeling procedure to investigate the effects of toughening mechanisms on the fracture toughness of laminated composites

The aim of this study is to estimate the mode-I critical strain energy release rate (GIc) extracted from a cross-ply laminated composite with 0//90 interface by using the GIc extracted from a unidirectional laminated composite with 0//0 interface. It is claimed that the GIc is a material property and toughening mechanisms such as fiber bridging and zigzag crack propagation acting in the fracture process zone (FPZ) play a prominent role in the...