Tensile damage analysis of composite structures based on 3D Hashin failure criteria and 2D higher-order structural theories

This paper combines higher-order two-dimensional (2D) structural theories and Hashin 3D criteria for the progressive damage analysis of composite structures. The structural model is based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), which allows the implementation of any-order structural theory, and a layer-wise formulation is used. The current work employs first- to third-order Lagrange polynomials along the thickness of each ply. Numerical tests concern tensile loads and focus on a single element for verification and, then, on the stress–strain curves and damage distributions of center-notched and over-height tensile specimens. Convergence analyses are carried out, and the impact of increasing the scale of specimens on the computational costs is assessed. Comparisons with numerical and experimental results from the literature are carried out. The results show a good match with numerical references and experimental data. The use of higher-order 2D theories leads to lower computational overhead with no accuracy penalties. In fact, higher-order kinematics can detect 3D stress and strain fields without the necessity of employing refined solid meshes. Furthermore, increasing the specimen scale does not lead to higher computational costs.