Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682

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The prediction of failure envelopes and stress/strain behavior of

composite laminates: comparison with experimental results
C.T. Suna,*, J. Taoa, A.S. Kaddourb
a
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1282, USA
b
DERA Farnborough, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0LX, UK

Accepted 1 November 2001

Abstract
Two theoretical models were used by Sun and Tao [Comp. Sci. Technol. 58 (1998) 1125] in Part A of the exercise to predict the
strength and stress/strain curves for a number of test problems. The strength model was based on linear elasticity in conjunction
with a ply-discount method using parallel spring stiness reduction, and the stress/strain curves were predicted by the linear model
and a non-linear model incorporating simplied shear-lag analysis and an ABAQUS nite-element package. This paper provides a
description of the correlation between experimental results provided by the organizers of the failure exercise and the theoretical
predictions, published in Part A for (a) biaxial failure envelopes of [0 ] unidirectional and [0 /  45 /90 ]s, [ 30 /90 ]s and [  55 ]s
multi-layered composite laminates, and (b) stress/strain curves for [0 / 45 /90 ]s, [ 55 ]s, [0 /90 ]s and [ 45 ]s under uniaxial and
biaxial loadings. # 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Keywords: C. Failure criterion; C. Laminates; B. Strength; B. Stress/strain curves; Combined loading

1. Introduction matrix cracking and the corresponding stiness reduc-

In Part A of the failure exercise, Sun and Tao [1] pre-
sented theoretical predictions of biaxial failure envelopes
of unidirectional and multi-directional composite lami-
nates and also for seven stress/strain curves for a number
of laminates under uniaxial and biaxial stresses. Details
of laminates analysed, the unidirectional ply material
properties and the types of loading applied are given in
Ref. [2]. The strength was predicted by using the linear
laminate theory in conjunction with ply-by-ply discount
method using a parallel spring stiness reduction model.
The stress/strain curves were predicted by using the lin-
ear model and a non-linear model based on simplied
shear-lag analysis and nite-element analysis with
ABAQUS. The linear analysis was used to generate the
biaxial failure envelopes and also the stress/strain curves.
The non-linear analysis, which was used only to predict the
stress/strain curves, took into account both material non-
linearity and progressive matrix cracking. Material non-
linearity was considered by using a one-parameter plasti-
city model for ber-reinforced composites. Progressive
tion were predicted by use of a simplied shear-lag
analysis and nite-element analysis.
The theoretical results based on the models used by
Sun and Tao [1] are compared in Ref. [3] with those of
other models used by ten dierent groups who partici-
pated in the failure analysis exercise. All these groups
used the same input data to analyze 14 test problems.
Soden et al. [4] provided details of test results for all
the cases analyzed in Ref. [1]. Almost all the tests were
carried out on tubular specimens. In some of the test
results, initial failure in the form of matrix cracks or
leakage was described and, in other test cases, only nal
failure stresses were provided.
The theoretical and test results were superimposed and
the gures were supplied to the authors. These gures are
described in the following sections.
2. Comparison between theory and experiments
2.1. Biaxial failure envelopes

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-765-494-5130; fax: +1-765-494-

Figs. 13 show the failure envelopes of unidirectional
0307. laminae under various types of loading. Fig. 1 presents
E-mail address: sun@ecn.purdue.edu (C.T. Sun). a comparison between test results and theoretical
0266-3538/02/$ - see front matter # 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
PII: S0266-3538(01)00211-1
1674 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682

Fig. 1. Biaxial failure stresses for 0 lamina made of GRP material E-glass/LY556/HT907/DY063.

Fig. 2. Biaxial failure stresses for 0 lamina made of CFRP material T300/914C.

predictions for an E-glass/LY556 epoxy lamina under
combined transverse and shear loading (
y  xy). The
correlation is good for tensile
y stress. However, for
compressive
y stress, the correlation is rather poor as the
theory predicts a quadratic envelope with no enhance-
ment in the shear stress due to application of compressive
stress while the test results showed a degree of enhance-
ment, especially for moderate values of
y stress. It should
be noted that the experimental transverse compressive
strength [4] is greater than that provided for use in the
analysis of Ref. [1]. If a greater transverse compressive
strength were used, the predicted strength in the second
quadrant would have agreed better with the experimental
data. Nevertheless, the experimental data indicates that
shear strength is enhanced by the presence of a com-
pressive transverse stress.
Fig. 2 presents the theoretical and experimental
results for T300/914C carbon/epoxy lamina under com-
bined longitudinal and shear loading (
x  xy). A wide
scatter is observed in the test results, especially in the
values of uniaxial shear strength. In the test results, the
data suggest (a) an enhancement in the shear stress
above the uniaxial shear strength when the longitudinal
tensile stress is around 9001000 MPa and (b) a reduc-
tion in the shear strength when a compressive stress is
applied. The interaction between the shear and tensile
longitudinal stresses as displayed in the experimental
data cannot be easily explained.
 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682 1675

Fig. 3. Biaxial failure envelope of 0 GRP lamina under combined
x and
y stresses. Material: E-glass/MY750 epoxy.

Fig. 3 shows a comparison between test results and

theoretical predictions for E-glass/MY750 epoxy lamina
under combined longitudinal and transverse loading
(
x
y). The theoretical curve showed no interaction
between the two stresses in the four quadrants while the
test results in the tension-compression quadrant suggest
a degree of interaction between the stresses. Therefore,
as far as this quadrant is concerned, the theory over-
predicted the test results and thus the correlation is
rather poor. It is, however, dicult to make a coherent
comparison between the theory and experiment as no
sucient test results are available in the other quadrants.

2.2. Biaxial failure envelopes for multidirectional

composites

Figs. 4 and 5 show the experimental and theoretical

failure envelopes of the [90/  30 ]s laminate made of E-
glass/LY556/HT907/DY063 epoxy subjected to com-
bined direct stress (
x
y) and combined axial stress
and shear loading (
x  xy), respectively. The test results
were obtained from tests on tubes and the test data
available described only the nal failure stresses, i.e. no
initial failure stresses were supplied for the laminates.
Hence, it is not possible to compare the theoretical pre-
diction of initial failure with test data.
The theoretical failure stresses under
x
y loading
(Fig. 4), show a trend similar to the test results. There
are, however, dierences between the theoretical and
experimental data. The theory slightly overpredicted the
Fig. 4. Biaxial failure envelope for (90 / 30 ) laminate under com-
bined
x and
y stresses. Material: E-glass/LY556 epoxy.
biaxial failure stresses in the tension-tension and com-
pression-compression quadrants. In the latter case,
buckling of the tubes may be considered as one possible
cause for such dierences.
When the laminate is subjected to combined axial
stress and shear loading (
x  xy) (Fig. 5) the theory
gave a good prediction of the uniaxial shear strength
but it slightly underestimated the axial tensile strength.
1676 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682

Fig. 5. Biaxial failure stresses for (90 / 30 ) laminate under  xy and
x stresses.

The theory also underpredicted the laminate strength
when compressive
x stress was combined with  xy shear
stress.
Fig. 6 shows the experimental and theoretical results
of the biaxial failure envelopes of [  55]s laminates
made of E-glass/MY750 epoxy under combined
x
y
biaxial loading. Good correlation between theoretical
nal failure prediction and test results can be observed
in a number of areas. However, the theory under-
predicted the experimental strength in the compression-
compression quadrant for stress ratio SR=
y:
x= 2:
1. This may be partly attributed to the high bre
volume fraction of the test specimens used in this
quadrant [4]. The bre volume fraction was around
67% while the theoretical prediction was for a bre
volume fraction of 60%. It is noted that in the tension-
tension quadrant, the theoretical predictions were lower
than the experimental results. For instance, at SR=
10:1, the hoop strength
y was almost three times higher
than that predicted. On the other hand, the theoretical
nal strength overpredicted the experimental strength at
stress ratios between SR=0:1 and 2:1. The correlation

Fig. 6. Biaxial failure stresses for ( 55 ) E-glass/MY750 laminates.

 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682
between the initial failure prediction and the strength of
unlined tubes was also poor. The dierence between
them was as high as 5 fold in some areas.
Biaxial failure envelopes for [0/  45/90]s laminate
under
x
y biaxial loading are plotted in Fig. 7. The
correlation between the theory and test results is good
as both indicated (a) an increase in the stress
y due to
biaxial loads in the tensiontension quadrant and (b) a
decrease in stress
y in the tensioncompression quad-
rant. An apparent poor correlation between test results
and theoretical prediction can be seen in the compres-
sioncompression and, to a lesser extent, in the tension
compression quadrants. This could be due to problems
(mainly buckling) associated with the experiments.
2.3. Stress/strain curves
The stress/strain curves were predicted using (a) linear
analysis and (b) nonlinear analysis. In the linear analy-
sis, a ply-by-ply discount method was used [1]. As a
result, a kink was seen when matrix failure in a limina
occured. In the latter case, material non-linearity, aris-
ing from matrix nonlinear behaviour, and eects of
matrix cracking were taken into account by using a
progressive matrix cracking model [1]. Since the eect of
matrix cracking was modeled in a progressive manner,
no jumps were seen in the resulting stress/strain curves.
It should be noted that, in the present exercise, the
nonlinear analysis was used only to produce stress/
strain curves but not for strength predictions. To use the
result of the nonlinear analysis for strength predictions,
it is necessary that new appropriate failure criteria be
developed. Thus, the ending point of each stress/strain
curve shown in Figs. 814 does not necessarily corre-
spond to the predicted ultimate strength of the laminate.
Fig. 7. Biaxial failure stresses for (0 / 45 /90 )AS4/3501-6 laminates.
1677
Fig. 8 shows the theoretical and experimental stress
strain curves for [0/90]s laminate under uniaxial loading
(
y/
x =0 / 1). The test results were obtained from
testing coupons under uniaxial tension [4]. The thick-
ness of the coupons was almost twice that of the lami-
nate analyzed, and the ber volume fraction, 62%, was
slightly higher than that used in the analysis, 60%.
In the linear analysis, the theoretical curves are linear
up to around 80 MPa stress where matrix cracking took
place in the layer whose ber direction was perpendicular
to the loading direction. A reduction in the modulus took
place at this point. Thereafter, the slope changed and the
modulus decreased slightly but remained almost parallel
to that observed in the test.
In the nonlinear analysis, the initial modulus, up to 80
MPa stress, was identical to that obtained from the lin-
ear analysis. When compared with the test results, the
theoretical modulus, after initial failure, was slightly
lower than that observed in the test.
In the linear analysis, the correlation between the
predicted and measured Poissons strains was good up
to around 268 MPa stress at which matrix cracking
occurred in the 0 lamina. Thereafter, the predicted
strain was lower than the measured one.
The Poissons strain in the nonlinear analysis was
larger than that observed in the tests. This is in contrast
to results of the linear analysis where the predicted
strain was smaller than that measured in the tests. It
must be mentioned here that the lamina modulus, E2, in
the nonlinear analysis was assumed to decrease expo-
nentially with increasing the crack density whereas in
the linear analysis the same modulus was dropped to
zero suddenly after the occurrence of transverse cracks.
Again, it is noted that the ending point in the stress
strain curve obtained according to the nonlinear analysis
does not indicate failure of the laminate.
Fig. 9 shows the theoretical and experimental results
for the [ 45]s laminate under equal-biaxial tensile
loading (
y/
x=1/1). The experimental results were
obtained from tubes tested with and without the use of
plastic liner. The main source of nonlinearity in the pre-
dicted curves is matrix cracking rather than material non-
linearity. The predicted initial failure stress was 68 MPa
which is similar to that observed in the test, 70 MPa. The
post initial failure behaviour in the linear analysis was
similar to that of the nonlinear analysis with the secant
modulus in the nonlinear analysis slightly greater than
that of the linear analysis, as was the case of the [0/90]s
laminate.
Both models used in the theory predicted the strains
"x and "y to be identical. However, the test results
showed the hoop strain "y to be larger than the axial
strain "x. Furthermore, at any given stress the measured
strains were larger than those predicted. This could be
due to the short length of the test specimens, which
could cause signicant deviation from the boundary
1678 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682

Fig. 8. Stress/strain curves for 0 /90 E-glass/MY750 laminate under uniaxial tension (
y=0).

Fig. 9. Stress/strain curves for 45 E-glass/MY750 laminate under
y/
x= 1/1.
 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682 1679

Fig. 10. Stress/strain curves for 45 E-glass/MY750 laminate under
y/
x= 1/ 1.

Fig. 11. Stress/strain curves for 55 GRP laminate under uniaxial tension (
y/
x= 1/0).

condition assumed in the theoretical predictions. Nei-
ther the linear analysis nor the nonlinear analysis was
able to predict leakage in this laminate.
Fig. 10 shows the predicted and measured stress/
strain curves for [  45]s laminate subjected to equal
biaxial tension-compression loading with
y/
x=1/1.
This is the only case among all the problems solved in
this exercise, in which the nonlinearity is predicted to
come primarily from material nonlinearity as the beha-
viour is dominated almost fully by the unidirectional
shear stress. The linear analysis produced straight lines
indicating that the rst failure was the ultimate failure.
In contrast, the nonlinear analysis gave nonlinear
curves. But the experimental nal failure strains of
about 10% obtained from testing tubes under combined
internal pressure and axial compression were not pre-
dicted by the linear analysis.
Fig. 11 shows the predicted and measured stress/
strain curves for [ 55]s laminate subjected to uniaxial
tensile loading with
y/
x=1/0. The measured curves
were obtained from internal pressure tests on thin tubes
tested with and without the use of plastic liner. The
correlation between the measured and predicted failure
stresses (and thus the failure strains) with the linear
1680 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682
Fig. 12. Stress/strain curves for a 55 laminate made of E-glass/
MY750 epoxy under
y/
x= 2/1.
analysis is poor. However, the stress/strain curves
according to the nonlinear analysis seem to agree with
the experimental curves quite well.
It is known that angle ply composite laminates such
as the ones considered in Figs. 10 and 11 tend to yield
large ow strains when subjected to uniaxial loads.
Large strains can signicantly alter the ber orientation
with the consequence of load-shifting to bers and,
thus, yielding higher laminate strengths. The experi-
mental results seem to conrm this conjecture.
The behaviour of [  55]s laminate subjected to biaxial
tensile loading with
y/
x=2/1 is depicted in Fig. 12. The
Fig. 13. Stress/strain curves for (0 / 45 /90 ) laminate under uniaxial tension (
y/
x= 1/0).
measured curves were obtained from internal pressure
tests on thin tubes tested with and without the use of
plastic liner. It is evident that the theoretical (linear and
nonlinear) results agree with the experimental results in
the early stages of deformation, i.e. up to around 120
MPa. In both the linear analysis and the measured
results, the "x strain curve crossed the "y curve as the
stress increased, see also comments on corrected results
in Section 2.4. In contrast, in the nonlinear analysis, the
"x strain (always smaller than the measured curve) did
not cross the measured "y curve. Rather, it exhibited a
stiening behaviour and reached an almost constant
value beyond 500 MPa stress. Since the nonlinear ana-
lysis was not used for strength predictions, the strain at
the end point of the curve should not be taken as the
failure strain of the laminate.
Figs. 13 and 14 show the theoretical and experimental
stress/strain curves for [0/  45/90]s AS4/3501-6 laminate
under uniaxial (
y/
x=1/0) and biaxial stresses (
y/

x=2/1). It was suggested in the Part A paper by Sun
and Tao [1], that material nonlinearity and matrix
cracking contribute nearly the same amount to the
nonlinearity of the stress-strain curve under
y/
x=1/0).
Also, when the laminate is subjected to
y/
x=2/1 biax-
ial loading, matrix cracking has a greater eect on the
laminate stress/strain nonlinearity. That is because the
contribution to failure by the shear stress component
gets smaller as the loading moves from uniaxial tension
to equal biaxial tension.
The correlations between experimental and the theo-
retical results are in general good. The worst case was
that of the predicted "x strain under
y/
x=2/1 loading
 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682
Fig. 14. Stress/strain curves for (0 / 45 /90 ) laminate under biaxial
stress
y/
x= 2/1.
where the linear analysis resulted in a strain of 0.51%,
almost 50% higher than that measured in the tests.
2.4. Modied results
Revised stress/strain curves were made after the pub-
lication of Part A paper [1]. The revised gures, shown
in Figs. 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14, were corrected for minor
numerical and plotting errors discovered after the pub-
lication of Part A. The changes are apparent as steps in the
stress/strain curves predicted by the linear analysis. The
most noticeable changes are in Figs. 8 and 12. These
changes did not aect the results of failure predictions.
3. Conclusions
Employing the linear elastic laminate theory in con-
junction with a ply discount method based on parallel
spring stiness reduction, together with HashinRotem
failure criterion gave the following features in failure
prediction of composite laminates.
(a) Good correlation with test results for nal failure
strengths of [0 / 45 /90 ]s AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy and
[ 30 /90 ]s glass/epoxy laminates under biaxial stresses.
(b) An acceptable correlation with test results in a
number of segments of the biaxial failure envelope for
[ 55 ]s glass/epoxy laminate. However, the model
underpredicted the nal strength in some other portion
of the envelope by a factor up to 3.
(c) Good agreement with the nal strength of lami-
nates whose failure is largely dominated by the ber
tensile strength, such as and [  45 ]s under equal biaxial
tension, [0 /90 ]s glass/epoxy laminate under uniaxial
tension, [ 55 ]s glass/epoxy laminate under SR=2/1
1681
and [0 /  45 /90 ]s carbon/epoxy laminates under uni-
axial and biaxial tensile stresses.
(d) Very poor agreement with the experimental failure
strains which are dominated by transverse and shear
matrix cracking. These include both branches of the
failure strains of [ 45 ]s under SR=1/-1, both branches
of [ 55 ]s glass/epoxy laminate under SR=1/0, where
the predicted curves are terminated prematurely, the
Poissons strain in [0 /90 ]s glass/epoxy laminate under
uniaxial tension and the Poissons strain of [ 55 ]s
glass/epoxy laminate under SR=2/1.
(e) The assumption that the in situ lamina tensile
transverse and shear strengths are one and half times
those measured from individual laminae seems to work
reasonably well in the prediction of laminate strengths.
The laminate stress/strain curves predicted by both
the linear analysis, which accounted for eects of matrix
cracking by a ply discount method, and by the non-
linear analysis, which took into account nonlinearities
due to material and progressive matrix cracking, gen-
erally agree well with the measured curves for ber-domi-
nated laminates. For matrix-dominated laminates, except
for the [ 55 ] glass/epoxy laminate under SR=2/1, the
nonlinear analysis gave reasonably accurate stress/strain
curves up to moderate strain ranges.
One should be cautious when drawing conclusions
from the comparison between theoretical and experi-
mental results for laminate strength. Discrepancies
should not be attributed automatically to deciencies of
the theory. There are a number of factors that may
result in such discrepancies.
(a) The lamina strength properties in the laminate
analysis were obtained from unidirectional composite
specimens. These strength properties could be quite dif-
ferent from the in situ lamina properties due to the
absence of the constraining eects from adjacent laminae
in the laminate.
(b) Most tests for biaxial loading were performed using
short, thin-walled tubular specimens. The gripping condi-
tion could induce undesirable boundary eects, especially
in tests that involve torsion. Additional failure mechan-
isms that were not accounted for by the theory could be
responsible for failure in the test. The most notable
example is buckling of thin-walled tubes under com-
pression or torsion.
(c) The eect of curvature of the tubular specimen on
the composite strength is unknown. Moreover, since tub-
ular specimens are manufactured by dierent methods,
they may not be of the same quality as at laminates.
References
[1] Sun CT, Tao J. Prediction of failure envelopes and stress-strain
behaviors of composite laminates: comparison with experimental
results. Composites Science and Technology 1998;58:112536.
1682 C.T. Sun et al. / Composites Science and Technology 62 (2002) 16731682

[2] Soden PD, Hinton MJ, Kaddour AS. Lamina properties and lay-
up congurations and loading conditions of a range bre rein-
forced composite laminates. Composites Science and Technology
1998;58:7 1011-22.
[3] Soden PD, Hinton MJ, Kaddour AS. Comparison of the pre-
dictive capabilities of current failure theories for composite lami-
nates, published in. Composites Science and Technology 1998;
58(7):122554.
[4] Soden PD, Hinton MJ, Kaddour AS. Experimental failure stres-
ses and deformations for a range of composite laminates sub-
jected to uniaxial and biaxial loads. Composites Science and
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