Parametric study of the influence of the structure dimensions and the material properties on the global behavior of plates made of composite materials

¹ Faculty of Engineering 1, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
² ISAE, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
³ Laboratory of Materials of Marins, Center of Brest, BP 70, 29280 Plouzané, France

^a Corresponding author: nmoubayed@yahoo.com

Received: 25 May 2012
Accepted: 28 May 2013

Abstract

This paper considers the effect of the damage caused by transverse stresses due to a low velocity impact loading on composite plates. The dynamic response of a plate is calculated using the modal superposition technique based on the classical plate theory of sandwich plates (stratified) taking into account transverse shear effects. An indentation law, based on the Hertz theory and verified experimentally, governs the behavior of the plate subsequent to impact. The numerical time integration scheme is used to calculate the contact force at any instant by combining the indentation and the dynamic response of the structure. The obtained results show a good correlation between the shock results and their prediction. This method is equally applied to the contact force as well as to the deformation of the plate. The simulation permits a parametric study of the structure dimensions and the material properties on the global behavior of the plate.