Discovering a generalized criterion that can predict the mechanical failure of various different structural materials is one of ultimate goals for scientists in both material and mechanics communities. Since the first study on the failure criterion of materials by Galileo, about three centuries have passed. Now we eventually find the "generalized energy criterion", as presented here, which appe...

A four-leaf steel spring used in the rear suspension system of light vehicles is analyzed using ANSYS V5.4 software. The finite element results showing stresses and deflections verified the existing analytical and experimental solutions. Using the results of the steel leaf spring, a composite one made from fiberglass with epoxy resin is designed and optimized using ANSYS. Main consideration is ...

A leading reason for the limited use of laminated composite materials in primary structural applications is that failure initiates in the ply oriented transverse to the direction of the applied load at a much lower strain than that which would cause the ultimate failure of the laminate. Previous studies indicate that transverse failure is manifested as either cavitation induced brittle failure ...

This paper developed three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to investigate the effect of fibre lay-up on the initiation of failure of laminated composites in bending. TsaiHill failure criterion was applied to identify the critical areas of failure in composite laminates. In accordance with the 3D FEA, unidirectional ([0]16), cross-ply ([0/90]4s) and angle-ply ([±45]4s) laminates m...

The present work describes a multiscale methodology which has been developed for modeling of impact damage in the laminated composite structures. The methodology employs the High Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells (HFGMC) micromechanical model for the prediction of the local stress and strain fields, within the representative unit cell of the unidirectional composite material. The Mixed Mode ...