Measurements of the Stress Supported by the Crush Zone in Open Hole Composite Laminates Loaded in Compression

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Abstract
Compression failures in composite laminates containing circular holes are often preceded by the development of a damage zone which grows with increasing compressive load. This damage zone which appears similar to a flat, tension fatigue crack in metals, initiates at the edges of the hole and propagates across the width of the laminates leading to final failure. The damage zone is initiated by local fiber buckling and/or shear crippling in the edges of the hole. The length or size of the damage zone increases with increasing load, propagating until the zone completely traverses the specimen. Subsequently, a more catastrophic failure occurs giving brooming and/or delamination. Measurements of the load supported by the damage zone were made, allowing a more realistic constitutive rela tionship to be defined for the composite material in the crush zone.

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