A METHODOLOGY AND TOOLS FOR THE STUDY OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURES UNDER IMPACT LOADING - APPLICATION TO LONG-FIBER LAMINATED STRUCTURES

The aim of this paper is to present a method for taking into account, in numerical terms, the physics of damage events during impact of comp osite structures. The modeling of damage phenomena is based on the fol lowing choices : the use of an averaging model and a contact technique , and simple criteria to define the numerical conditions of initiation and extension of damage events. This approach is applied here to nume rical modeling of the impact of ten plies symmetrical glass-epoxy 0/90 laminated plates where matrix cracking controls delamination and henc e considered of primary importance.