A method for predicting the compressive failure of composite laminates considering the effect of prefabricated damage based on progressive damage analysis
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2026
A method for predicting the compressive failure of composite laminates considering the effect of prefabricated damage based on progressive damage analysis
Composite laminates with scratches and holes are common in aerospace structures, while comparative studies on their compressive failure remain limited. This study experimentally and numerically investigates compressive failure using a three-dimensional progressive damage model with an improved Hashin criterion and Camanho degradation implemented via a UMAT subroutine. Compression tests were conducted on two layups with various scratch depths and locations, and hole diameters. Numerical predictions agree well with experiments, with errors below 10.20% for scratches and within 14.04% for holes. Shallower scratches have little effect on ultimate load, while deeper scratches cause significant reductions. Increasing hole diameter also reduces ultimate load, with greater reductions observed in thicker laminates. The results validate the proposed method for predicting compressive failure of damaged composite laminates.
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