Parametrically-upscaled continuum damage mechanics (PUCDM) model for multiscale damage evolution in bending experiments of glass-epoxy composites

Abstract This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of parametrically-upscaled continuum damage mechanics (PUCDM) models for multiscale damage analysis of S-2 glass fiber/SC-15 epoxy matrix composite beams subjected to single-edge notched bending (SENB) tests. The SENB experiments with [ 0 12 / 9 0 12 ] double-ply and [ 0 8 / 9 0 8 / 0 8 ] triple-ply composite beams use synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging for in-situ damage characterization. PUCDM models represent a class of thermodynamically-consistent multiscale constitutive models that bridge length-scales through explicit incorporation of representative aggregated microstructural parameters (RAMPs) in constitutive coefficients. Functional forms of RAMPs are generated through machine learning tools, operating on a micromechanical analysis database. The efficient PUCDM-based FE simulations reveal multiscale damage phenomena in the SENB experiments.