The effect of strain rate on the interlaminar shear strength of a carbon/epoxy cross-ply laminate: Comparison between experiment and numerical prediction

A previously developed design of single-lap interlaminar shear specimen suitable for tests under impact rates of loading is re-examined and used to determine the interlaminar shear strength of a cross-ply carbon/epoxy material with important applications in the aircraft industry. The test has been modelled dynamically with an explicit-finite element code. The results of this analysis have been used to examine the state of stress just prior to failure and, in terms of a quadratic stress-interaction failure criterion, to predict the onset of delamination. The numerical predictions are compared with the behaviour observed experimentally.