Failure Analysis of Civil Engineering Composite Shell Roofs

Abstract

Light weight laminated composite materials have seen dramatic increase in civil, aerospace, marine and other weight sensitive engineering applications due to their design versatility and high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios. Naturally different behavioural aspects like failure of composites gained importance as research areas for confident use of these materials. Failure in composites starts with the failure of the weakest lamina and may propagate in different directions due to reduction of stiffness thus introduced leading to progressive failure of the structure. In the present study composite shell structures are solved for failure using an eight noded isoparametric shell bending element. Failure behaviour of cross and angle ply, symmetrically laminated graphite-epoxy composite shell roofs are reported.