Punch shear behavior of thick-section composites under quasi-static, low velocity, and ballistic impact loading

Composite materials can absorb energy from transverse impact load through their unique damage mechanisms, e.g., matrix cracking, compression-shear, and tension-shear. Ballistic resistance of thick-section composites has been investigated under clamped boundary condition. The only data obtained from ballistic impact experiments is the impact-residual velocity pairs, which can be used to determine the ballistic limit velocity and total energy absorbed by the composite plate. A quasi-static punch-shear test (QS-PST) methodology and empirical models for data analysis have been developed to quantify the energy-absorbing damage mechanisms as a function of punch displacement. Most damage mechanisms usually seen in ballistic experiments have been observed in the QS-PST However, the QS-PST experiment alone can not explain the ballistic impact phenomenon. This is why; low-velocity impact (LVI) experiments have been conducted at an impact velocity of 4.7 m/s. Comparing the QS-PST data with the LVI-PST data and contrasting those with Ballistic-PST data, a phenomenological model has been developed to predict the ballistic impact and penetration behavior of thick-section composites.