A global–local approach to the high-fidelity impact analysis of composite structures based on node-dependent kinematics

The objective of the present work is to investigate progressive damage in fibre-reinforced composites under varying load conditions, and in particular transverse impact loads, using a global–local approach. The numerical models are built using higher-order structural theories based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). The Node-Dependent Kinematics (NDK) technique, an intrinsic feature of CUF models, is employed which enables the selective refinement of critical regions of interest within the structure and results in a global–local analysis. Progressive damage is governed by the CODAM2 material model, which is based on continuum damage mechanics. A series of numerical assessments are performed on composite laminates under varying load conditions, and predicted results of the global–local analysis are found to be in good agreement with experimental data, thereby validating the proposed approach. A comparison of its performance with reference high-fidelity CUF models of the full structure demonstrates the computational efficiency that can be achieved using the CUF-NDK global–local approach.