A study on transverse cracking in composite laminates subjected to flexural loading under asymmetrical environmental conditions

A present model was deployed to forecast the impact of transverse cracking on stiffness degradation in [0/90]2s composite laminates subjected to simple bending. Good alignment between the predictive model and empirical data from Smith and Ogin (2000) was achieved. The composite's material properties, influenced by temperature and moisture variations, are derived from a micromechanical laminate model. The transient and non-uniform moisture concentration distribution give rise to the transient elastic moduli of cracked composite laminates. This asymmetrical environment is considered in to evaluate changes in normalized axial and flexural modulus due to transverse cracking. The results adeptly depict the relationship between stiffness degradation and crack density, alongside operational temperature. Notably, composite laminates with transverse cracks undergoing simple bending exhibit less susceptibility to asymmetrical environment compared to those under tension loading. This theoretical study aims to enhance understanding of aged composite materials afflicted by matrix cracking.