Image Based Micromechanical Method for Simulation of Damage Zone

Over the recent decades, composite structures like polymer matrix composite (PMC) have been widely employed in various industries especially under mixed mode I/II loading conditions. The performance of these structures mainly associated with crack initiation and propagation, so that, estimation of residual strength and constitutive properties need to be thoroughly examined. In the present paper, image-based micromechanical method (IBMM) has been employed for simulation of microcrack’s initiation and propagation for obtaining constitutive properties of PMC crack tip front zone. In fact, the method of IBMM, proposed a coupling method of image processing and micromechanics of damage in which overall constitutive properties of crack tip vicinity can be proceed in micro scale. It was shown that the IBMM can track progressive damage zone with remarkable precision.