Composite Strength
and Failure Criteria
Micromechanics of failure in a
unidirectional ply
In the fibre direction (1), we assume
equal strain in fibre and matrix. The
applied stress is shared:
s1 = sf Vf + sm Vm
Failure of the composite depends on
whether the fibre or the matrix reaches its
failure strain first.
Failure in longitudinal tension
s s Vf
1T f
Failure in longitudinal compression
Failure is difficult to model, as it may be
associated with different modes of failure,
including fibre buckling and matrix shear.
Composite strength depends not only on
fibre properties, but also on the ability of the
matrix to support the fibres.
Measurement of compressive strength is
particularly difficult - results depend heavily
on method and specimen geometry.
Failure in longitudinal compression
Em
s
1C 2f Vf 1 Vf
E f
Microbuckling
Shear failure mode
Failure in transverse tension
High stress/strain
concentrations
occur around fibre,
leading to interface
failure. Individual
microcracks
eventually
coalesce...
Failure in transverse compression
May be due to one or
more of:
compressive
failure/crushing of
matrix
compressive
failure/crushing of
fibre
matrix shear
fibre/matrix
debonding
Failure by in-plane shear
Due to stress concentration
at fibre-matrix interface:
Five numbers are needed to characterise
the strength of a composite lamina:
s1T* longitudinal tensile strength
s1C* longitudinal compressive strength
s2T* transverse tensile strength
s2C* transverse compressive strength
12* in-plane shear strength
1 and 2 denote the principal material
directions; * indicates a failure value of stress.
Typical composite strengths (MPa)
UD CFRP UD GRP woven GRP SiC/Al
s1T* 2280 1080 367 1462
s1C* 1440 620 549 2990
s2T* 57 39 367 86
s2C* 228 128 549 285
12* 71 89 97 113
The use of Failure Criteria
It is clear that the mode of failure and hence
the apparent strength of a lamina depends on
the direction of the applied load, as well as
the properties of the material.
Failure criteria seek to predict the apparent
strength of a composite and its failure mode
in terms of the basic strength data for the
lamina.
It is usually necessary to calculate the
stresses in the material axes (1-2) before
criteria can be applied.
Maximum stress failure criterion
Failure will occur when any one of the stress
components in the principal material axes
(s1, s2, 12) exceeds the corresponding
strength in that direction.
s 1T * (s 1 0)
s 1 C*
s 1 (s 1 0)
Formally, failure occurs if:
s 2T * (s 2 0)
s 2 C*
s 2 (s 2 0)
12 12 *
Maximum stress failure criterion
All stresses are independent. If the lamina
experiences biaxial stresses, the failure
envelope is a rectangle - the existence of
stresses in one direction doesnt make the
lamina weaker when stresses are added in the
other...
Maximum stress failure envelope
s2
s2T*
s1
s1T*
s1C*
s2C*
Orientation dependence of strength
The maximum stress criterion can be
used to show how apparent strength and
failure mode depend on orientation:
s 1 s x cos2 q s2
s 2 s x sin q
2 s1
sx
12 s x sinq cosq q 12
Orientation dependence of strength
At failure, the applied stress (sx) must be
large enough for one of the principal
stresses (s1, s2 or 12) to have reached
its failure value.
Observed failure will occur when the
minimum such stress is applied:
s 1* cos2 q
*
s x mins 2 sin q
* 2
*
12 sinq cosq
Orientation dependence of strength
s 1* cos2 q Off-axis tensile strength (E-glass/epoxy)
1500 12
*
sinq cosq
1250
strength (MPa)
1000
long tension
750 in-plane shear
trans tension
500
250
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
reinforcement angle s 2* sin2 q
Daniel & Ishai (1994)
Maximum stress failure criterion
Indicates likely failure mode.
Requires separate comparison of
resolved stresses with failure stresses.
Allows for no interaction in situations of
non-uniaxial stresses.
Maximum strain failure criterion
Failure occurs when at least one of the
strain components (in the principal material
axes) exceeds the ultimate strain.
1T * (1 0)
1 C *
1 (1 0)
2T * ( 2 0)
2 C*
2 ( 2 0)
12 12 *
Maximum strain failure criterion
The criterion allows for interaction of
stresses through Poissons effect.
For a lamina subjected to stresses s1, s2,
12, the failure criterion is:
s 1T * , 1 0
s 1 12s 2 C *
s 1 ,1 0
s 2T * , 2 0
s 2 21s 1 C *
s 2 , 2 0
12 12*
Maximum strain failure envelope
For biaxial stresses (12 = 0), the failure
envelope is a parallelogram:
s2
s1
Maximum strain failure envelope
In the positive quadrant, the maximum
stress criterion is more conservative than
maximum strain.
s2
max strain
The longitudinal tensile
stress s1 produces a
compressive strain 2.
This allows a higher value max stress
of s2 before the failure
strain is reached. s1
Tsai-Hill Failure Criterion
This is one example of many criteria
which attempt to take account of
interactions in a multi-axial stress state.
Based on von Mises yield criterion,
failure occurs if:
2 2 2
s 1 s 1s 2 s 2 12
* * * 1
s
1 s1
* 2
s 2 12
Tsai-Hill Failure Criterion
A single calculation is required to determine
failure.
The appropriate failure stress is used, depending
on whether s is +ve or -ve.
The mode of failure is not given (although inspect
the size of each term).
A stress reserve factor (R) can be calculated by
setting
2 2 2
s 1 s 1s 2 s 2 12 1
* * * 2
s
1 s1
* 2
s 2 12 R
Orientation dependence of strength
The Tsai-Hill criterion can be used to
show how apparent strength depends on
orientation:
s 1 s x cos2 q s2
s 2 s x sin q
2 s1
sx
12 s x sinq cosq q 12
UD E-glass/epoxy
Orientation dependence of strength
1200
apparent strength (MPa)
1000
800 long tension
trans tension
600
shear
400 Tsai-Hill
200
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
angle (o )
Tsai-Hill Failure Envelope
For all quadratic failure criteria, the
biaxial envelope is elliptical.
The size of the ellipse depends on the
value of the shear stress:
s2
s1
12 = 0
12 > 0
Comparison of failure theories
Different theories are reasonably close
under positive stresses.
Big differences occur when
compressive stresses are present.
A conservative
approach is to
consider all
available
theories:
