Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Crack Propagation in Composites Under Tensile Loading

Abstract

Reliability engineering is a discipline dedicated to the study and evaluation of structural systems, aiming to assess their ability to perform required functions under specified conditions over a defined period. This study presents a numerical investigation into the damage prediction of composite structures subjected to tensile loading, employing three-dimensional finite element analysis. The influence of material properties, fibre orientation, thickness (ep), and the length-to-thickness ratio (L/ep) is examined within the framework of probabilistic fracture mechanics for composite damage. The Monte Carlo simulation method is utilised to estimate the damage distribution function. Failure probability is evaluated by incorporating both statistical uncertainties in the basic variables and model uncertainties. Probability density functions are derived by fitting histograms to theoretical models, with Lorentzian, Gaussian, and ninth-order Polynomial distributions considered. The Gaussian distribution provides the most accurate approximation of the strain probability density function, offering a reliable estimate of the mean value.