Multi-Scale Model of Failure in a Composite Material

An adaptive concurrent multilevel computational model of failure in a heterogeneous-material structure has been developed. As used here, “concurrent” is a term of art characterizing a class of structural/material models that (1) incorporate submodels representing material substructures at different spatial scales from macroscopic to microscopic, (2) the equations of the various models are solved simultaneously, and (3) the solutions at the various scales are coupled. The present model applies, more specifically, to a unidirectionalfiber/ matrix composite material structure. The model can be used to simulate and analyze the initiation and growth of damage, starting from microstructural damage in the form of debonding at fiber/matrix interfaces.