Structural response of impact-damaged composite panels

Internal damage due to impulse events, such as impact or shock, may not be detected by visual inspection in composite structures. This internal damage can cause significant reductions in strength and may lead to catastrophic failure. Therefore there is a need first to understand completely the effects of an impact event on a composite material. As part of this research project, a simple energy model has been used to better quantify the behavior of glass reinforced polymers (GRP) panels subjected to impact. Sixteen 0.229 m x .0.178 m x 0.006 m woven roving GRP panels were impacted with varying energy levels and tup sizes to compare the experimental results to that of the energy model.