A numerical analysis on the behavior of CFRP laminates under biaxial loads

The study of the failure mechanisms of a composite material is essential for the efficient design of structures. The analysis of the effect of transverse biaxial loads, both at micromechanical and macromechanical level, is required for an integral vision of the whole mechanism of damage. In a previous work by the authors a transverse biaxial testing campaign was performed on cruciform specimens; in the present work a FEM model that successfully reproduces the coupons elastic state is presented in order to understand the failure occurrence and to make failure predictions avoiding the complexity of the experimental process.