Continuum Mechanics Modelling of Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Continuum Mechanics Modelling of Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites provides a comprehensive and state-of-the-art review on the application and use of multi-scale modelling to predict damage mechanisms in composite materials. Following a logical structure the book is divided into three main parts. The first part discusses all the "ingredients" necessary to start with multi-scale modelling, limited to elastic property prediction. This includes: (i) setting up your geometrical model at micro- or meso-scale (definition of Representative Volume Element (RVE) or Repeating Unit Cell (RUC)), (ii) definition of periodic boundary conditions, (iii) homogenization of the elastic properties, starting from the elastic properties of the constituents, (iv) importance of statistical representation of geometry and stochastic nature of fibre architecture. This should bring all readers up to the same level of principles and terminology for multi-scale modelling. The second part deals with nonlinear multi-scale modelling. It builds further upon the ingredients from Part I, but now adds all kinds of nonlinearities to the simulation at micro- or meso-scale (matrix cracking, delamination, fibre/matrix debonding, delamination, fibre failure, visco-elasto-plasticity-damage of the polymer matrix). Not only finite element based techniques are covered, but also much faster inclusion methods (Mori-Tanaka, Eshelby) and variational methods. The third part deals with the laminate scale or macro-scale, where all these multi-scale modelling tools are applied for virtual testing of laminates (in static loading, but also sometimes for prediction of fatigue, crushing). As mentioned above, in all three parts, the main types of fibre reinforcement are covered (unidirectionally reinforced composites, textile composites and short fibre composites). The focus is always on physically sound damage modelling and continuum mechanics (no attention to special discrete methods or particle methods).The book will be an essential reference resource for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers involved in the modelling of composites; R&D engineers using commercial software tools for multi-scale modelling of composites in industry, and those working in composite mechanics such as academic and industrial researchers, and people working in software houses developing FE and other numerical packages and design tools.