A comparative study of numerical and analytical methods to predict the tensile behaviour of plane-parallel laminate and tiled laminate

While classical laminate theory (CLT) extensively interprets the elastic mechanical behaviour of traditional composite laminates, there exists a knowledge gap to provide a reasonable prediction of the nonlinear mechanical behaviour beyond the elastic phase. To address this issue, researchers have proposed a straightforward analytical approach for predicting all potential damage modes of Unidirectional (UD) hybrid composites and their stress-strain responses under tensile loading. However, an analytical model for a single-material laminate with different in-plane ply angles has not been introduced to date. By utilizing the aforementioned analytical model, the mechanical performance of a single-material laminate with multiple lay-up angles is predicted and compared with a numerical solution, revealing a close agreement between the two. This suggests that the existing analytical model remains applicable for predicting the mechanical behaviour of single-material laminate in tensile loading, even when multiple lay-up ply angles are involved. Furthermore, developing upon this analytical approach, a novel analytical model has been proposed for predicting the tensile behaviour of Tiled Laminates (TL), with its results also aligning favourably with numerical outcomes. This analytical approach offers a rapid means of forecasting the tensile mechanical properties of Plane-Parallel (PP) laminate and Tiled Laminate (TL), thus establishing a meaningful tool for composite material design.
Keywords: Composite, Tiled Laminate (TL), Plane-Parallel (PP), Tensile behaviour, Analytical method, Numerical simulation.