Extended crack band model of continuum damage analysis in fiber-reinforced composite laminates

An extended crack band model is presented to simulate the damaging behavior in fiber-reinforced composite laminates. The model makes the characteristic length of the finite element and the crack bandwidth independent of each other, effectively relieving mesh dependency. It avoids the problem of big elements causing a snap-back at the local constitutive level. The dissipated energy per unit volume is no longer affected by the characteristic length, which solves the problem of excessive dissipated energy in the longitudinal fracture toughness. The present model was applied to an open-hole tension test, and the results showed the improved feasibility of this model compared with a classic crack band model.