Nonlinear transient response of strain rate dependent composite laminated plates using multiscale simulation

The effects of strain rate dependency and inelasticity on the transient responses of composite laminated plates are investigated. A micromechanics model which accounts for the transverse shear stress effect, the effect of strain rate dependency and the effect of inelasticity is used for analyzing the mechanical responses of the fiber and matrix constituents. The accuracy of the micromechanics model under transverse shear loading is verified by comparing the results with those obtained using a general purpose finite element code. A higher order laminated plate theory is extended to capture the inelastic deformations of the composite plate and is implemented using the finite element technique. A complete micro-macro numerical procedure is developed to model the strain rate dependent behavior of inelastic composite laminates by implementing the micromechanics model into the finite element model. Parametric studies of the transient responses of composite plates are conduced. The effects of geometry, ply stacking sequence, material models, boundary conditions and loadings are investigated. The results show that the strain rate dependency and inelasticity influence the transient responses of composite plates via two significantly different mechanisms.