Design Methodology for Damage tolerant Composite Wing Panels

In co-operation with the partners in the GARTEur SM AG 22 an analytical approach for modelling and calculation of the impact behaviour of composites was developed during the past years in the Institute of Structural Mechanics. The main features of the approach are · an independent damage characterisation method; · a new failure criterion for delamination damage; · a simple model for the prediction of impact damage, based on the bending strain energy density and · an algorithm for the residual strength analysis of single and/or multiple delaminations, either introduced by impact or pre-implanted. The approach led to the development of the Windows and NT compatible computer program COmposite Damage Tolerance Analysis Code (CODAC), which enables the calculation of the impact transient response, the impact damage and consequently the residual compressive strength of composite laminates and stringer stiffened panels.