Numerical Simulation of Transverse Crack on Composite Structure Using Cohesive Element

Due to their anisotropic behavior, composite structures are weak in transverse direction loading. produces transverse cracks, which for a laminated composite, may lead to delamination and total failure. The transition from transverse crack to delamination failure is important and the subject of recent studies. In this paper, a simulation of transverse crack and its transition to delamination on cross-ply laminate was studied extensively using a cohesive element Finite Element Method (FEM). A pre-cracked [0/90] composite laminate made of bamboo was modeled using ABAQUS/CAE. The specimen was in a three-point bending configuration. Cohesive elements were inserted in the middle of the 90° layer and in the interface between the 0° and 90° layer to simulate transverse crack propagation and its transition to delamination. A load–displacement graph was extracted from the simulation and analyzed. As the loading was given to the specimen, stress occurred in the laminates, concentrating near the pre-cracked region. When the stress reached the tensile transverse strength of the bamboo, transverse crack propagation initiated, indicated by the failure of transverse cohesive elements. The crack then propagated towards the interface of the [0/90] laminates. Soon after the crack reached the interface, delamination propagated along the interface, represented by the failure of the longitudinal cohesive elements. The result of the numerical study in the form of load–displacement graph shows a consistent pattern compared with the data found in the literature. The graph showed a linear path as the load increased and the crack propagated until a point where there was a load-drop in the graph, which showed that the crack was unstable and propagated quickly before it turned into delamination between the 0o and 90° plies.