An Experimental Study of Scaling Rules for Impact Damage in Fiber Composites

The importance and complexity of impact in composite structures suggest that experiments will be needed to understand the mechanics involved. Scaling of results from subscale structures necessitates an understanding of scaling rules governing impact. An experimental study was performed in which composite plates ranging in size by a fac tor of five were geometrically scaled, and subjected to impact. The results show that analytically derived scaling rules could accurately describe the undamaged response to impact. An analysis based on the dynamic plate equations showed excellent agreement with the experiments. The formation of damage is complex, showing an apparent de pendence of delamination on absolute size as suggested by fracture mechanics.