EFFECT OF THERMAL RESIDUAL STRESS ON THE INTERLAMINAR CRACK EXTENSION BEHAVIOR IN CROSS-PLY LAMINATES DUE TO TRANSVERSE LOADING

The effect of thermal residual stress on the two-dimensional interlaminar crack extension behavior in a cross-ply laminate subjected to transverse loading is estimated. Attention is focused on the contribution of thermal residual stress to the local energy release rate along the interlaminar crack front. Computational simulations are carried out on the basis of constant critical energy release rates in order to examine implicitly how the two-dimensional size and shape would be changed by the presence of thermal residual stress. A considerably large amount of energy is found to be supplied for the interlaminar crack extension by thermal residual stress, while little influence is perceived with respect to the apparent extension behavior including the shape of the interlaminar crack.