Implementing deformation, damage, and failure in an orthotropic plastic material model

Theoretical and implementation details of an orthotropic plasticity model are presented. The model is comprised of three sub-models dealing with elastic and inelastic deformations, damage, and failure. The input to the three sub-models involves tabulated data that can be obtained from laboratory and/or virtual testing. In this article, the focus is on the development of the failure sub-model and its links to the other components. Details of how the user-selected failure criterion is used, and what steps are implemented post-failure are presented. The well-known Puck failure criterion is used in the numerical examples. Three validation tests are used to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the failure sub-model—10°, 15°, and 30° off-axis tests, a stacked-ply test carried out at room temperature under quasi-static loading, and finally, a high-speed impact test. Results indicate that while the deformation and damage sub-models give reasonably accurate results, the failure predictions are a huge challenge especially for high-speed impact tests.