Voids effect on micromechanical response of elastoplastic fiber-reinforced polymer composites using 1D higher-order theories

This work investigates the effect of voids within the matrix of composite materials. Effects on local stress and plastic strain values are evaluated by conducting a micromechanical analysis. The microscale Representative Volume Element (RVE) is modeled through refined 1D elements based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). Using 1D models for the RVE leads to a significant reduction in computational costs compared to standard 3D elements. Fibers are modeled as orthotropic, and the matrix has an elastoplastic behavior. Random distributions of voids are considered, and statistical analyses are carried out. Furthermore, the influence of the depth of the RVE is investigated. The results show significant mean and peak stress values increases as the void volume fraction grows. Also, the use of deeper RVE leads to higher stress values.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of voids in composite materials on local stress and plastic strain values through micromechanical analysis. The microscale Representative Volume Element (RVE) is modeled using refined 1D elements based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), resulting in reduced computational costs compared to standard 3D elements. The fibers are orthotropic and the matrix exhibits elastoplastic behavior. Random void distributions and statistical analyses are considered, along with the influence of RVE depth. The results demonstrate significant increases in mean and peak stress values as the void volume fraction increases, and deeper RVEs result in higher stress values.