Numerical analysis of fibre-bridging in perforated fibre metal laminate

Fibre-metal laminates are a new class of structural used in aerospace, which consists of fibre-reinforced prepegs, sandwiched between metal aluminum sheets. A numerical analysis of the fibre-bridging mechanism in fibre-metal laminates has been carried out using the boundary element and finite element method. The fibre bridging stress and stress intensity factors was determined based on the fracture mechanics approach. The theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics, the formulation of the boundary integral equation with quarter-point crack-tip element and toughening mechanism in composite materials are also reviewed in this study. The effects of varying geometric parameters, the extent of bridging zone and the delamination shape between the prepeg and metal layers on the fibre bridging strength was also studied. The numerical analysis was extended to single perforated fibre-metal laminates and those containing multiple auxiliary holes was also performed. The numerical results obtained would be useful to obtain a better qualitative understanding of the crack-face bridging mechanism in fibre-metal laminates.Master of Engineering (MPE