Failure prediction for high-strain rate and out-of-plane compression of fibrous composites

Abstract This work presents a detailed analysis of failure prediction for a glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite under out-of-plane compression at quasi-static (10−3 and 1 s−1) and high strain rates (103 s−1). The simulations were compared with the experiments of a recent study (Pournoori. et al. Int. J. Impact Eng., 147 (2021)). The failure at different strain rates was predicted using the three-dimensional (3D) Hashin failure criterion implemented into the finite element analysis by the Abaqus user-defined subroutines UMAT and VUMAT. According to the results, the criterion predicted failure onset well in terms of force level, location and failure mode, without any fitting parameters. The inter-fiber failure was the dominant failure mode at all studied strain rates in simulations. The 3D Hashin criterion predicted that the failure onset occurred at a low strain level close to the experimental nonlinearity point with a ±7% difference between them while the coefficient of variation of the strains at nonlinearity point was 15.4% at low and intermediate rate tests. The virtual crack closure technique simulations of fracture for low and high rate tests indicated that the GFRP deformation involves some dissipation, which causes nonlinear response prior to the peak force.