A FINITE-ELEMENT APPROACH TO GLOBAL-LOCAL MODELING IN COMPOSITE LAMINATE ANALYSIS

A finite element model is described to study interlaminar stresses within polymer composite laminated materials. This model is based upon a global-local model proposed by Pagano and Soni in 1983. The development of solution procedures includes an out-of-core memory solving technique. The numerical results generated for simple plate problems with and without holes in the center under uniaxial loading are reported. Comments regarding the finite-element mesh-size, numerical stability, problem size and sensitivity of results to substructuring of the laminate into global and local regions have also been discussed.