Modelling transverse cracking damage in thin, filament-wound tubes subjected to lateral indentation followed by internal pressure

Transverse cracking is a typical mode of damage in laminated composites. A continuum damage model has been established for the constitutive relationship which describes initiation and evolution of such damage. The constitutive model has been incorporated into an FE structural analysis using a commercial code, ABAQUS, via one of its user-defined subroutines, UGENS. The developed user subroutine can be applied to simulate transverse cracking damage processes in general laminated composites. As an example, the response of a thin ±55° filament-wound tube subjected to loading and unloading by lateral indentation has been analysed. The predicted load displacement curves and damage growth and stress and strain distributions in each lamina are presented. One of the emphases in this paper is on sequential loading. Subsequent to complete unloading, the tube is subjected to a different loading condition, internal pressure, and simulation of the deformation and damage process is continued. The results have been discussed and compared with experimental data wherever available. © 2005 Qinetiq Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.