Predicting the notched strength of large quasiisotropic composite laminates based on small specimen tests

An investigation into the size effects in notched quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminates is carried out. Two scaling laws are used to predict the notched tensile strength. Specifically, a Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) approach based on Dugdale’s plastic zone model originally for metallic materials is applied to predict the tensile strength of the large composite laminates with sharp notches. A method based on Weibull statistics is used to predict the tensile strength of the large composite laminates with circular holes. These two scaling lines are drawn independently from the experimental notched tensile strengths. A good agreement between the predicted and experimental results of the large notched composite laminates is achieved.