Isaac M. Daniel’s research while affiliated with Illinois Institute of Technology and other places

The behavior of quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates with cracks subjected to various biaxial-stress fields was studied experimentally. This was accomplished by uniaxial tensile loading of specimens with cracks of various orientations with the loading axis. It was found that the critical stress-intensity factor, based on a projected crack length increased by a characteristic damage dimension, is nearly constant with stress biaxiality and initial crack length.

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial-tensile loading of [O2/45] s graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40-cm40-cm (16-in.16-in.) graphite/epoxy plates of [O2/45] s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings.Biaxial tension in a 21 ratio was applied by means of four whiffle-tree grip linkages and controlled with a servohydraulic system. Stress and strain redistributions occur around the hole at a stress level corresponding to localized failure around the 67.5-deg location and nonlinear strain response at the 0-deg location. Maximum measured strains at failure on the hole boundary are higher (approximately 0.016) than the highest ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate (0.010). Two basic patterns of failure were observed: (a) horizontal cracking initiating at points off the horizontal axis and accompanied by extensive delamination of the subsurface 45 deg plies, and (b) vertical cracking along vertical tangents to the hole and accompanied by delamination of the outer 0-deg plies. The strength reduction ratios are lower than corresponding values for uniaxial loading by approximately 16 percent, although the stress-concentration factor under biaxial loading is lower.

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the behavior under biaxial tensile loading of quasiisotropic graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and to determine the influence of hole diameter on failure. The specimens were 40 cm40 cm (16 in.16 in.) laminates of [0/45/90] s layup. Four hole diameters, 2.54 cm (1.00 in.), 1.91 cm (0.75 in.), 1.27 cm (0.50 in.) and 0.64 cm (0.25 in.), were investigated. Deformations and strains were measured using strain gages and birefringent coatings. Equal biaxial loading was introduced by means fo four whiffle-tree grip linkages and controlled with a servohyraulic system. Initially, the circumferential strain is uniform around the boundary of the hole. Subsequently, with increasing load, regions of high strain concentration with nonlinear response develop at eight characteristic locations 22.5 deg off the fiber axes. Failure in the form of cracking and delamination initiates at these points. Maximum strains at failure on the hole boundary reach values up to twice the ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate. The effect of hole diameter on strength was described satisfactorily using an average biaxial-stress criterion. Good correlation was also obtained with theoretical predictions based on a tensor-polynomial failure criterion for the lamina and a progressive degradation model.

The objective of this investigation was to study the deformation and failure of uniaxially loaded graphite/epoxy plates with cracks and to determine the influence of notch size on failure. The specimens were quasi-isotropic laminates with cracks of various lengths. They were instrumented with strain gages, photoelastic coatings and moir grids. Strains near the crack tip show two distinct points of rate change at strain levels of 0.002 and 0.006, the latter corresponding to the ultimate strain of the 90-deg plies. Failure near the crack tip takes the form of a damage zone consisting of ply subcracking along fibers, local delamination and fiber breakage. Failure occurs when this damage zone reaches some critical value. Measured maximum strains at failure exceeded twice the ultimate strain of the unnotched laminate. The average stress over a characteristic distance (5 mm) from the crack tip was used as a criterion to describe the influence of crack length on failure. Comparison of results with those from similar specimens with circular holes showed that strength was nearly independent of notch geometry in this case, i.e., specimens with holes and cracks of the same size had nearly the same strength.