Comparison of mixed mode fracture criteria in finite element analysis for matrix crack density estimation of laminated composites

A mixed mode crack density estimation method based on the finite element analysis (FEA) for laminated composites is proposed and verified in this paper. The damaged properties of cracked ply are obtained using semi-analytical micro-mechanical method for the first time. The piecewise functions of the mode I and mode II energy release rates involving crack density are given based on Griffith’s energy principle and discrete damage mechanics (DDM). Any mixed mode fracture criteria could be simply applied to the FEA of the structure to calculate the initiation and evolution of the micro-cracks in the laminate. Mode I criterion, power law and B-K criterion are applied in the numerical examples to compare their performances in the crack density estimation. It has been concluded that the accuracy of the fracture toughness is more important than the choice of fracture criterion in crack density estimation.