Computation of mode I Strain Energy Release Rate of symmetricaland asymmetrical sandwich structures using mixed finite element

摘要

The use of composite materials is on the rise in differentengineering fields. The main advantage of these materials for the aerospaceindustry being their low weight for excellent mechanical qualities. The analysisof failure modes, such as delamination, of these materials has received greatattention from researchers. This paper proposes a method to evaluate themode I Strain Energy Release Rate (SERR) of sandwich structures. Thismethod associates a two-dimensional mixed finite element with virtual crackextension technique for the analysis of interfacial delamination of sandwichbeams. The cases of a symmetrical Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) and aasymmetrical Double Cantilever Beam (UDCB) have been analyzed in thisstudy. The comparison of the results obtained by this method with thosefound in the literature shows efficiency and good precision for the calculationof Strain Energy Release Rate (SERR). .