Compressive damage of composite structures using 3D failure criteria and 2D higher-order structural theories

This paper analyzes the compressive damage behavior of composite plates using 2D structural theories and 3D failure criteria. The proposed approach integrates the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), 3D Hashin failure model for fibers, and Puck’s matrix compression criterion. It features advanced modeling of the fracture plane orientation and progressive material degradation. The structural modeling is layer-wise (LW) and enhances computational efficiency while maintaining high accuracy compared to traditional finite element approaches. Verification and validation are carried out on single-element tests, compact compression tests, and open-hole compression tests, with the results demonstrating strong agreement with experimental data and existing numerical models. The study highlights the benefits of using higher-order 2D structural theories instead of refined meshes to capture the complex failure mechanisms of fiber-reinforced composites under compression.