Abstract

In open-hole laminates, when a second hole is made, the stresses and the damage evolution are modified. The main failure mechanisms in laminates subjected to compressive loads are fibre microbuckling and matrix breakage. In this work, the influence of the presence of a second hole in these mechanisms is analysed for two distances between holes. The Serial/Parallel Mixing Theory was used to model the elastic behaviour of the material and a Continuum Damage Model to represent the fibre microbuckling and matrix failure. The equations were implemented in a FEM code developed by the authors. The proposed model has been validated with results from the literature for a laminate with two holes positioned transversally to the applied load. In this problem, it was shown that the growth of the fibre damage is different from that of the matrix.  The laminate is damaged mainly in the zone between the holes. When the distance between holes is reduced, both types of damage around the holes increase.