Role of interfacial transition zone in phase field modeling of fracture in layered heterogeneous structures

Mechanical behavior of layered materials and structures greatly depends on the mechanical behavior of interfaces. In the past decades, the failure in such layered media has been studied by many researchers due to their critical role in the mechanics and physics of solids. This study aims at investigating crack-interface interaction in two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) layered media by a phase field model. Our objectives are fourfold: (a) to better understand fracture behavior in layered heterogeneous systems under quasi-static load; (b) to introduce a new methodology for better describing interfaces by a regularized interfacial transition zone in the context of varia-tional phase field approach, exploring its important role; (c) to show the accuracy , performance and applicability of the present model in modeling material failure at the interfaces in both 2-D and 3-D bodies; and (d) to quantitatively validate computed crack path with respect to experimental data. Phase field models with both perfectly and cohesive bonded interfaces are thus derived. A regularized interfacial transition zone is introduced to capture characteristics of material mismatch at the interfaces. Numerical examples for 2-D and 3-D layered systems with experimental validation provide fundamentals of fracture behavior in layered structures. The obtained results shed light on the behavior of crack paths, which are drastically affected by the elastic modulus mismatch between two layers and interface types, and reveal the important role of the proposed interfacial transition zone in phase field modeling of crack interface interactions

A non-dimensional theoretical approach to model high-velocity impact on thick woven plates

A theoretical energy-based model to capture the mechanical response of thick woven composite laminates, which are used in such applications as maritime or aerospace, to high-velocity impact was developed. The dependences of the impact phenomenon on material and geometrical parameters were analysed making use of the Vaschy-Buckingham Theorem to provide a non-dimensional framework. The model was divided in three different stages splitting the physical interpretation of the perforation process: a first where different dissipative mechanisms such as compression or shear plugging were considered, a second where a transference of linear momentum was assumed and a third where only friction took place. The model was validated against experimental data along with a 3D finite element model. The numerical simulations were used to validate some of the new hypotheses assumed in the theoretical model to provide a more accurate explanation of the phenomena taking place during a high-velocity impact.L. Alonso, S.K.García Castillo and C.Navarro are indebted to the project 'Acción Estratégica en Materiales Compuestos y Análisis Numérico simplificado de Estructuras y protecciones ligeras sometidas a impacto balístico' (2010/00309/002) of the University Carlos III of Madrid for the financial support of this work. D.Garcia-Gonzalez acknowledges support from the Talent Attraction grant (CM 2018 - 2018-T2/IND-9992) from the Comunidad de Madrid