Numerical study of the inter-fibre failure under biaxial loads

Abstract

The inter-fibre/matrix failure under transverse tension has already been the object of several micromechanical studies by the authors, for single fibre case or dilute packing. These studies have made it possible to understand the initiation and later progress of failure at the micromechanical scale, which leads to the macro-failure of the material. The generation of damage at this scale is directly associated to the appearance of small debonds or interface cracks at the fibre-matrix interfaces. In the present work the influence, at micro scale, of a secondary transverse load perpendicular to the transverse tension nominally responsible for the failure, is studied for all phases of the mechanism of damage. Both signs of the secondary load, tension and compression, are considered in this analysis. The Boundary Elements Method is employed and Interfacial Fracture Mechanics concepts used for the analysis of the results.