Design of Non-Conventional CFRP Laminates for Improved Damage Resistance and Damage Tolerance

Abstract

The design of stacking sequences for an improved damage resistance and damage tolerance for low velocity impact events has received a special attention from industries as well as academic research. A rational design with dispersed ply orientations is seen as a promising solution to the problem. This paper presents a new philosophy for the design of a non-conventional laminate with improved mechanical performance against impact events. The laminate is designed such that the plies at and near the top and bottom surfaces of the laminate absorb most of the impact energy and that the middle plies are left undamaged in order to carry the compressive load after impact. The results enable us to propose four non-conventional stacking sequences satisfying the constraints imposed by the conventional laminate that will be used as the baseline material in our experimental study