Durability Assessment of Composite Structural Element Reinforced with Fabric due to Delamination

Layer composites reinforced with fabrics – laminates are construction materials in which mechanical properties can be shaped by designing their microstructure appropriately. However, the multi-phase microstructure of laminates makes it difficult to calculate the strength of the laminate constructions, especially when the reinforcement is a fabric. The article presents a special calculation model for determining the strength of an exemplary construction element made of laminate reinforced with a roving fabric with a plain weave made of carbon fibers. The computational model reflected in a simplified way the laminate microstructure, i.e. the number and orientation of the reinforcement fabric layers and its weave, and enabled a simulation of the behavior of the construction element under load up to fracture, which occurred as a result of breaking the reinforcement and interlayer crack – delamination. The simulation results were compared with the results of experimental stand tests. A method of modifying the computational model for laminates reinforced with non-plain weave was also suggested.