ISSN:
0029-5981
Keywords:
Engineering
;
Engineering General
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Mathematics
,
Technology
Notes:
The finite element implementation of a lamina-based elastic constitutive relation appropriate for describing the three-dimensional (3-D) behaviour of fibre composite laminated media is presented. Unconstrained by the two-dimensional restrictions accompanying plate and shell theories, this approach resolves the macro 3-D deformation fields found in 'thick' laminated or filament wound composites without requiring each lamina to be individually discretized to assign material properties. In rectangular isoparametric solid elements where laminae locally parallel an element 'face', the implementation represents 'exactly' the elastic laminate behaviour by replacing the discrete lamina stiffnesses with continuous polynomial moduli functions. Attributable directly to the lamina constitutive relationship used, appropriate for fibre-dominated material systems, the implementation automatically preserves interlaminar continuity of tractions and displacements within each element for laminates assembled from a single lamina type. The order of the effective moduli functions is determined by the element kinematics and by requiring identical net mid-surface elemental forces and moments. In general, this representation substantially reduces the number of stored variables and through-thickness integrations required, and allows 'exact' integration by higher-order Gaussian quadrature. Additionally a single element may span any portion or number of laminae, thus allowing nearly arbitrary meshing and solution resolution. Several numerical examples using 3-D 8-node isoparametric solid elements demonstrate the approach's convergence and overall behaviour.
Additional Material:
6 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nme.1620350506
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