Effects of Lay-Up Sequence and Widths on The SERR of Woven Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

Abstract

In this paper, fracture behavior of woven Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composites underMode I crack growth was experimentally investigated and numerically modeled, to determine theeffects of lay-up sequence and widths on delamination resistance. Different methods are used forcalculation of strain energy release rate (SERR): for the experimental solution, experimentalcompliance calibration method (CCM), modified beam theory (MBT), modified compliance calibration(MCC) are used and virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) are used for the numerical solution. Toachieve this aim DCB (double cantilever beam) test specimens are used to evaluate the SERR values.Three-dimensional finite element model is used to perform the delamination, crack analysis, andMode I SERR value is calculated by the VCCT. It is seen that there is an agreement betweenexperimental and numerical results so that the VCCT method is to be an appropriate method foranalyzing a SERR value of woven glass fiber reinforced polymer composites.