Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026

A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation
Published on: June 28, 2015
Non-smooth mode I fracture of fibre-reinforced composites: an experimental, numerical and analytical study
Paul Davidson1, Anthony M Waas
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA.
Abstract:
We present a novel approach to analyse the fracture of fibre-reinforced composites. Experimental results on mode I fracture of glass fibre and carbon fibre unidirectional laminates presented here and published by others in the open literature formed the basis for the analytical and numerical results presented. When details of the external loading rate are explicitly accounted for, a new picture of fracture emerges, which encompasses the possibility for non-smooth crack growth and the necessity to relax the use of a critical strain energy release rate as a criterion for crack advancement. Results predicted by adopting the analytical model presented here are seen to capture a wide variety of fracture responses that have been observed previously.
Related Concept Videos
Behavior of Concrete Under Compressive Load
As the concrete specimen fractures under...
Stress-Strain Diagram - Brittle Materials
Fiber Reinforced Concrete
Flexural Stress
Hooke's Law states that within the material's elastic limits, stress is directly proportional to strain. In a member experiencing a bending moment, the strain at any point is relative to its distance...
Fatigue
Bending of Members Made of Several Materials
Hooke's Law determines stress in each material, stating that stress is proportional to strain but varies due to each material's...
