A multi-scale approach for the response of a 3D carbon/carbon composite under shock loading

A method for the prediction of fracture under dynamic loading for small str uctures made of a 3D carbon/carbon composite is proposed. Owing to the leng th scale of the loading, the notion of homogenised material is meaningless and our choice then is to model, identify and compute the material at an in termediate or mesoscale (fibre-strands/matrix-blocks). The idea here is tha t, because of the small size of the meso scale, the previous description of the damage mechanisms should be valid even for high-rate loading. This wor k is focused on the application of this approach to the case of plate/plate impact by making use of a simplified analysis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.